There's not much to say about this chapter, except that it was originally supposed to be a lot shorter, and posted a lot sooner. Then the characters took over and made me redo most of it, including the end of the first scene (the one which was originally written for the last chapter). But in terms of plot, I think this works better.
A note on terms: "Doomsday Trine" is my name for the Conehead Trine. Beacause there are other coneheaded Seekers out there, and these guys deserve a proper name.
"Slavery Imprinting" is Stockholm Syndrome. The term was coined on Cybertron to describe the illogical attachments slaves often developed to their masters.
There's truth in your lies
Doubt in your faith
All I've got's what you didn't take
"In Pieces" - Linkin Park
"Better the devil you know than the angel you don't." - Hama Tutu
"I still don't get why you don't just tell Starscream what you're up to. Seems to me like he'd help without all this tricky stuff if he knew you wanted to get rid of Megatron."
Ravage twitched an audio, but refused to online his optics when an irritated voice roused him from half-sleep. It sounded like Rumble was arguing with - or rather, at - Soundwave again, and Ravage had no desire to participate.
"Situation: complicated," Soundwave's voice replied. "Starscream wishes to take command for himself. Any alliance would end upon Megatron's death."
"If that's what he wants, why not just let him?" Rumble demanded. "Sure he's not a great leader, but he's gotten us out of bad spots before. If you don't want to follow Megatron anymore, why not just help him take over?"
Ravage huffed a quiet sigh, having asked Soundwave that same question when he first learned about his creator's plan. The answer had been unsatisfactory then, and it seemed completely fragged up now. But apart from that sigh, he remained silent as Soundwave said, "Starscream is capable, but requires supervision. He's a danger to himself and others when he isn't thinking clearly, and needs someone to keep him in check. Ergo: he is unfit for leadership."
"Okay, maybe you've got a point there," Rumble conceded. "But reprogramming? Isn't that kind of an extreme way to keep him from doing crazy stuff?"
"It removes the need to control him through force, and makes it easier to stop him before he goes too far. When the time comes, it will also insure his cooperation in defeating Megatron, and prevent attempts to usurp me afterward."
"And that's the part I don't get," Rumble said. "Why wouldn't he help on his own? He already wants to kill Megatron, so why go to all this trouble to make him help?"
"Several reasons," Laserbeak's voice interjected. "The most important being that Soundwave has a reputation for loyalty. Do you honestly think Starscream would believe that he was planning against Megatron?"
"Well... Maybe not," Rumble muttered. "Not at first, anyway."
"Exactly. For another thing, the only way Starscream could ever actually kill Megatron would be on impulse. He's psychologically incapable of it otherwise, with or without help."
"Yeah, right," Frenzy joined in with a scoff. "You make it sound like he doesn't actually want to kill him."
"He doesn't," Soundwave stated. "Starscream desires command, not Megatron's death. If he could attain one without the other, he would."
"Okay, wait a minute," Rumble said. "You set things up so you can take control of him 'when the time comes' and force him to help you kill Megatron? That's... Where does helping him come in?"
"You know how Megatron treats him. It may trouble him at first, but in the long run his life will be greatly improved by Megatron's removal."
Ravage wasn't so sure of that. True, Starscream would live a healthier life without Megatron constantly tearing into him, but their relationship was far more complicated than that of a victim becoming attached to its abuser. Theirs was a connection forged through millennia spent fighting side by side, hurting, helping, hating, and relying on each other in equal measure. Twisted and unhealthy though it might be, it was as powerful as any lovers' bond, and Ravage honestly didn't know if Starscream could recover from its loss. Not without help that Soundwave would never be able to give, no matter how he tried, if he was responsible for that loss.
"What I want to know," Laserbeak said, "is how you expect Starscream to trust you. After everything you've done and still plan to do, why would he?"
"Slavery Imprinting," Soundwave replied easily. "When bots are isolated and scared for extended periods, they will come to accept comfort from any source. Eventually Starscream will turn to me because he has nowhere else to go."
Ravage had to snort at that, but the sound was covered by Laserbeak saying, "Slavery Imprinting usually requires the oppressed to form a positive emotional attachment to its oppressor. Starscream might not be able to do that with his protocols in such bad shape. And even if he could, wouldn't his programming latch onto Megatron as his primary source of comfort?"
"Unlikely. Megatron is not tolerant of weakness. Starscream knows this, and his programming will respond accordingly."
"Yeah, and don't forget what Megatron did to him," Frenzy added. "I dunno about the rest of you, but I'd want to stay far away from anyone who grabbed my spark."
"Be that as it may, this program will leave him reliant on Megatron," Laserbeak said agitatedly. "Who's to say that reliance won't include the fulfilment of his emotional needs?"
"Smaller words, Beaky," Rumble muttered. "Some of us like things simple."
The last part was clearly directed at Soundwave, who seemed completely unconcerned when he said, "Euthenra's Virus does foster some emotional dependence. However, Megatron won't be Starscream's master long enough for it to matter."
An uncomfortable silence followed these words, and Ravage finally lifted his head to survey the office from his place in front of a heat vent. Buzzsaw had accompanied the Doomsday Trine to Arabia, but Ravage could see Laserbeak perched on the edge of Soundwave's desk. Rumble and Frenzy were seated in front of a bank of monitors displaying security feeds, and Ratbat clung to the top edge of one monitor, solemnly watching his creator and siblings. Soundwave himself sat at the desk, seemly focused on a datapad, and definitely pretending not to notice the effects of his casual statement on his cassettes. But Ravage knew they were all aware of the implications it carried, even if no one said anything.
It was Ratbat who finally broke the silence by saying, "What happens if Megatron figures out that you're planning against him?"
All of them, Ratbat included, knew the answer to that. But Ravage could feel his youngest sibling's worry in the empathic bond which linked them all together, and could sympathize with his need to hear Soundwave acknowledge that what he was doing was dangerous. They all felt that way, and none of them made any attempt to hide their anxiety and concern. Even though they had learned by now that Soundwave wouldn't listen to them.
"You worry too much," the telepath said now, brushing his mind soothingly over theirs. "Megatron has no reason to suspect me of treachery. But that's part of why Starscream can't know about this. He's always had trouble keeping secrets from Megatron, and it will be harder for him now. It's safer for him, and us, if he doesn't know anything until it's time."
That was too much. Ravage stood and trotted up to the desk, approach silenced by the rubber pads on his paws. He leapt onto the desktop, then crouched low and fixed Soundwave with a reproachful stare. "You're not telling us everything either."
"It's safer," Soundwave repeated, regret seeping into their connection. "I don't believe any of you would betray me, but it's better that you know as little as possible."
"You think something might go wrong then?"
"No plan has a one hundred percent chance of success. If the worst happens, I have no intention of letting any of you suffer for my actions."
"If Megatron figures this out, we'll suffer anyway!" Ravage protested, lashing his tail in frustration. "He'll kill you if he finds out you're trying to overthrow him!"
"As long as he doesn't harm you as well, it will be worth the risk," Soundwave replied. "The Decepticons lost their way long ago. Megatron has become as corrupt as the Senate was, and I took far too long in realizing it. But I see it now, and I will do whatever it takes to return us to our original path."
"But we were fighting against all that slavery stuff back then!" Rumble burst out almost desperately. "How can you fix things when your first step was to enslave Starscream?"
"I merely did what I was ordered to do," Soundwave stated. "If Megatron had decided against this, it wouldn't have happened."
"Yeah, but you suggested it! Frag, you encouraged it-"
"Enough." Soundwave's presence in the bond grew suddenly cold, and Ravage shrank down against the desktop like the change was a physical blow. He was distantly aware of the other cassettes responding similarly, but a mental tug drew his attention very firmly to his creator.
"You are confused and worried. I understand that," the telepath said harshly. "But you have to trust that I know what I'm doing. Yes, my methods are questionable. Yes, Starscream will struggle for a time. But it's a necessary evil, and a temporary arrangement. Once this is over, everything will be put right."
His mind released those of his cassettes, then his presence pulled out of the connection entirely. Ravage ducked his head and pulled away to the far edge of the desk, optics narrowed to angry red slits. "He does have a point," he said, half-growling the words. "Starscream doesn't exactly take good care of himself when he's stressed. Sooner or later someone's going to realize something's wrong, and if Hook gets hold of him, a deep scan will find any program his system labels foreign, including this one. Just how do you plan to keep this a secret?"
For a moment it seemed as though Soundwave wouldn't answer, and restlessness permeated the cassettes' side of the link. Then he said curtly, "That is why Hook already knows. He also knows what will happen if he says anything."
Ravage stared at him, mind going completely blank. Then he demanded "Does Megatron know?" at the same time that Laserbeak squawked, "Have you been threatening our medic?"
"Affirmative," Soundwave replied, although it was impossible to tell which question he was answering until he looked at Ravage and said, "Megatron would not even consider reprogramming Starscream unless it could be kept a secret. He knows I have taken steps to insure that." To Laserbeak he added, "Hook is against this, but he agreed to tell no one, including his Gestalt. Threatening him was unnecessary."
He stood up, subspacing his datapad. "I have also informed Thundercracker that Starscream's mental state has taken a turn for the worse, and that I am attempting to handle it. He will help us watch him, and agreed to tell others only if they notice a change in Starscream's behavior. Hook, if asked, will tell the same story. Query: is that the end of your questions?"
It was obvious from his word choice that it had better be, so Ravage decided not to push him. When no one else said anything, Soundwave stepped around the desk and left the room. Several seconds passed as the cassettes waited for him to get out of audio range, then the small bots exchanged tired, unhappy looks.
"Frag," Frenzy muttered, slumping low in his chair and shaking his head. "He's really lost it, hasn't he?"
"It is ironic that he would use Starscream's mental health as a cover story when it's his own that's deteriorating," Laserbeak said bitterly, shifting his wings. "Although there's certainly truth to that story, considering how badly Starscream has been affected." He glanced at Ravage, and the only other cassette who had personally witnessed the Seeker's suffering sighed.
"We all knew this could happen," the felinoid murmured, settling himself on the desk and setting his head on his paws.
"Yeah, but why did it have to?" Rumble demanded, kicking the base of the console in front of him. But no one had an answer for him beyond what they had all known from a young age: War was no place for an Empath. The ability to read minds could be useful, even invaluable, in a fight, but the constant presence of death and pain would eventually drive a bot to madness. The only real defense was to shut down emotionally and stop feeling anything for other people, but that was arguably an even worse option. It could, and too often did, result in everything from depressed isolation to unfeeling cruelty towards others.
There was a reason why there had never been many Empaths involved in the war, even during the early days. Those who could had fled, and most of those who stayed through choice or necessity couldn't handle the stress. Sometimes Ravage had to wonder what demons haunted the Autobots Blaster and Red Alert, the latter of whom was an identified half-breed Empath.
"Why do you think Megatron wants to keep all this a secret?" Ratbat asked, obviously changing the subject. "He doesn't need to threaten Starscream with revealing it to make him obey, so what's the point?"
"Well, he was very adamant about wanting Starscream to be able to do his job," Laserbeak pointed out. "And Starscream wasn't officially demoted. I would guess Megatron still intends for him to take command if anything happens to him."
The smaller flier tilted his head. "Can he do that?"
"Under ordinary circumstances, programmed slaves can be released by the deaths of their masters," Laserbeak explained. "The program will reactive if a new master is registered, but otherwise it goes dormant and bots can go about their lives with minimal impact from the coding."
"Minimal impact, huh?" Rumble said doubtfully. "What would that mean for Starscream?"
"Self-doubt. Anxiety." The avianoid shifted his wings in a shrug. "His usual behavior, in other words. But if it served to amplify his usual behavior, he'd be impossible to live with."
"'Under ordinary circumstances'," Ravage repeated softly, shifting his gaze to a monitor where Starscream was visible, sitting alone in the War Room. "But these aren't ordinary circumstances, are they?"
Once again, the answer was too obvious to warrant a reply.
Starscream had always hated officers' meetings. He hated the endless arguing and infighting which kept any real work from being done, hated the way everyone was always vying for Megatron's approval, hated the air of superiority given off by every mech who acted like the Decepticons would just fall apart without them. Admittedly, Starscream wasn't completely innocent of such behavior himself, but his case was different. The army would fall apart without its Second-in-Command to keep things running smoothly, and he felt that those fights he started personally - which was most of them - were fully justified.
The thing he hated most, though, was how utterly pointless these meetings were. It didn't matter what issues were brought up or what suggestions were made. Megatron would just do whatever the frag he felt like, and no trivial matter like a lack of fuel or materials was going to stop him. It was just one more example of his incompetence as a leader, and one more reason why Starscream could do a far better job.
The Seeker had barely completed the mutinous thought when a wave of guilt swept through him, merging with his ever-present anxiety in a smothering blanket of heat. He stubbornly tried to continue his silent complaints, but the painful mix of emotions and physical illness soon had him feeling dizzy and closed in, and he reluctantly backed off when it became too much. Thankfully no one had joined him in the War Room yet, so he would hopefully be able to keep his distress private.
Starscream braced his forearms on the table, leaning on it for support and shutting off his optics. It took several seconds of slow, deep ventilations to convince his body that there was no shortage of cool air, and that he was neither trapped nor suffocating. The claustrophobic feelings still didn't fade completely, but they slowly became bearable, and that was all Starscream expected by this point.
Once his spark had slowed its frantic pulsing somewhat, he reactivated his optics and tried to get his thoughts back to where they were supposed to be. Another few minutes passed as he glared at the datapad which lay on the table in front of him, lips moving silently as he read out the information it displayed. But although the motions helped him focus, he still found himself unable to remember a word he'd just read when he looked away. He muttered some fully audible curses and shut off the pad, then sat back to stare moodily around the empty room.
He wanted to get this meeting done and over with. Logically he knew arriving early wouldn't get it out of the way any faster, but the more restless part of his mind insisted that if he was here, then he was one step closer to being done than he would be if he wasn't here. The reasoning didn't make much sense if he looked at it too closely, but the step-by-step approach was more appealing than a second-by-second countdown, so he chose to take it at face value. Now if only someone else would show up so he could move another step closer to getting out of here.
Starscream sighed and leaned forward again, folding his arms over the tabletop and letting his wings droop. He desperately hoped that he would be able to slip away after the meeting without being held back by Megatron, but he didn't really expect it. Up to this point Megatron had done little to counter the Seeker's efforts to avoid him, but Starscream couldn't believe there was any innocent reason for that. It wasn't a matter of if Megatron would take advantage of his new helplessness, only of how and when, and he didn't doubt that the warlord enjoyed making him wait.
That wait was pure agony.
The soft whoosh of a door opening brought him back to full alertness in an instant, and he quickly raised his wings along with his head. Then he stiffened and drew back, optics brightening with renewed fear as they locked onto the blue mech entering the room. Soundwave paused for a brief moment when he noticed Starscream, head tilting, then he continued forward on a curved path which very deliberately put the table between them. Starscream tracked him halfway across the room before snarling and tearing his gaze away, scowling down at his fisted hands. Metal creaked as Soundwave took his usual seat across from the tense flier, who hunched his shoulders and struggled to keep his ventilations even.
"Starscream," Soundwave greeted. Then, when he got no response, he added, "Are you well?"
Starscream jerked his head up, optics flashing. "No, I am not, and it's entirely your fault!" he spat. But the harsh tone couldn't quite conceal the frightened tremor in his voice, and he knew when Soundwave's visor dimmed that the telepath had picked up on it.
"We need to talk," Soundwave said. Starscream snorted and snatched up his datapad, swiftly subspacing it.
"No, we don't. You have nothing to say that I want to hear, and I have nothing to say to you period."
"Noted. However, you do need to hear what I have to say."
"You don't get to decide what I need," Starscream snapped, jabbing a finger at Soundwave. "You don't get a say in anything I do!"
"I wish to help you."
"I don't need your kind of help."
"Megatron ordered me to help you adjust to your new programming-"
"It's not my programming, and I can handle it just fine on my own!"
"You already admitted to being unwell."
Starscream flinched inwardly and looked away, cursing himself for his stupidity. As satisfying as it would be to reveal that Soundwave had literally made him sick, he couldn't risk the telepath telling Megatron and getting him sent to the med bay. "I didn't mean that literally," he said aggressively, snapping his gaze back to the other. "Sadly, I'm not surprised you made that mistake since you seem completely incapable of looking beyond the physical lately." He curled his lip. "And you call yourself a telepath."
Soundwave seemed to consider his words. At length he said, "Have you experienced any abnormal functioning lately?"
"I'm not glitching!" Starscream snarled, realizing immediately what Soundwave was really asking. "But even if I was, I wouldn't tell you."
"You're being unreasonable," Soundwave stated bluntly, stubbornly plowing on when Starscream scoffed. "I told you I didn't have a choice in reprogramming you. Query: would you rather have been sent to Shockwave?"
"Well, let's see." Starscream leaned back in his chair to get as far from Soundwave as possible and pretended to think about it. "Shockwave is on Cybertron, which means he's far away from me. I would be able to go about my daily business without feeling like he was watching me like a fragging lab experiment all the time. Oh, and he hates me, so there wouldn't be any of this 'trying to help' slag." He snorted again and shook his head. "I wish I'd been sent to him."
"You would be under surveillance no matter who reprogrammed you."
"That is entirely not the point."
Soundwave sat back as well. "However, you are correct that Shockwave would have treated you as an experiment. He would not have attempted to comfort you, and may have ridiculed you for being afraid. Do you truly wish for that?"
The Seeker opened his mouth, but all that came out was a small, strangled noise as his voice finally failed him. That was a scenario he could imagine all too easily, and he couldn't honestly say he would have preferred it over what really happened. Not when he remembered Soundwave holding him during his reprogramming, both restraining him and offering comfort that, on some perverse level, he had been unable to get enough of. Starscream pressed his lips together and lowered his head, crossing his arms as his tanks reminded him that he wasn't feeling well.
"I tried to make things easier for you," Soundwave said, voice gentling as much as was possible for a monotone. "You don't want my help because you believe that I hurt you. But would you trust me any more if I had stepped back and let Shockwave have you?"
Starscream cycled a shuddering ventilation and shook his head, but not in response to the question. Other memories of that horrible night were attempting to follow the first, and it was taking all of his willpower to push them back down. Once he thought he could keep his voice steady he snarled, "You know what, you're right. I am being unreasonable. After all, you only attacked me in my own quarters, broke my wing, forced your way into my mind, reprogrammed me, hacked me again while I was asleep... What could I possibly have to be upset about?"
"Sarcasm: unnecessary," Soundwave said, and Starscream jumped to his feet, slamming his hands down on the table.
"I. Hate. You," he hissed, backswept wings broadcasting his violent intentions as he loomed over the seated mech. "Usually the people I hate figure it out on their own, but in your case, I feel I need to spell it out. Now unless you want to end up in pieces, I suggest you back the frag off and leave. Me. Alone."
If Soundwave was in any way unsettled by the Seeker's threatening behavior, he didn't show it. But he didn't argue either, and for a few seconds the two stared at each other in tense silence. Then the stillness was broken by a low, rough voice saying, "I fail to see any improvement in Starscream's attitude, Soundwave."
Starscream's neck protested the sharp movement when his head jolted up yet again, confirming that it was, in fact, Megatron who stood just inside the door, face set in his usual unreadable scowl. Starscream didn't like the rush of relief he felt when he saw his leader, although since he was no longer alone with Soundwave, he knew some of it was genuinely his. But he also knew the program would be driving him to stay close to his so-called master, and the reduction of his unending fear had the potential to be worryingly effective.
"Starscream: insists on being difficult," Soundwave told Megatron as the warlord approached the pair.
"I'm being difficult?" Starscream repeated savagely, rounding on the telepath again. "You're the one causing all the problems!"
"You should be more careful about where you discuss this," Megatron warned, pausing behind Starscream. "Someone could overhear."
A hand pressed against the Seeker's back as he spoke, sliding out along one wing in a firm stroke that was somehow both possessive and calming. Starscream flinched away from the touch before he could stop himself, but tried to cover it by jerking his head toward Soundwave. "He started it."
"Negative," Soundwave countered. "I only said we needed to talk. Not when or where."
"I don't care who started it," Megatron interrupted, fingers curling over the edge of Starscream's wing as the flier bristled. "You both continued it, and you both should have known better." He applied pressure to the sensitive aileron in his hold, and Starscream winced again before reluctantly obeying the silent order to sit down. Megatron's grip wasn't nearly as tight as it could have been though, and Starscream was uncomfortably reminded of the last time his leader had been gentle with him. But his wing still pressed into the touch when the warlord's thumb started rubbing the aileron, and he told himself it was just the program at work when he felt a tentative stirring of contentment.
"Soundwave," Megatron said in a tone noticeably harder than his actions, "is it true that you hacked Starscream while he was recharging?"
Starscream went rigid, optics wide with horror as he realized just how much his outburst would have revealed if Megatron had been someone else. But the contact with his wing remained light, almost soothing, and he clung to that as Soundwave nodded. "Affirmative. It was necessary to check his coding after reprogramming to insure it was integrating properly. However, his mind and body were exhausted from fighting me, and I couldn't wake him. I decided to let him rest while he could."
"And took the chance that he would wake up while you were in his mind."
Soundwave offered no reply, but the blunt statement didn't need one. Starscream stared at the table, disgusted by the blue mech's explanation, but mostly worried about what would happen if Megatron accepted it. That he had brought it up at all suggested that he didn't approve, but he would turn a blind optic on almost anything if one's excuse was good enough. Starscream knew that all too well.
"Starscream," Megatron said at length. "How have you recharged since then?"
The Seeker hesitated, wing trembling in the larger mech's grasp. He didn't want to even think about this, let alone talk about it. But the program pressed him to answer, preferably with the truth, so he finally mumbled, "Not well." Megatron didn't need to know that it had been five days since he'd even tried.
"Because you're afraid it will happen again?"
This time Starscream couldn't answer at all, even with the program pushing him to reply. He just couldn't admit to that level of weakness. But Megatron seemed unbothered by his lack of response, and merely snorted as though the silence was answer enough. "That, Soundwave, is why you shouldn't mess with sleeping bots, regardless of your intentions. And you will not do it again. Is that clear?"
Only a beat of silence separated the question from Soundwave's answering, "Affirmative." But it felt ominous in a way Starscream couldn't explain, and he abruptly decided that he would rather be helpless before Megatron than alone with Soundwave again. No matter how friendly the telepath acted, there was something wrong here, and he wanted nothing to do with it.
"We'll discuss this further after the meeting," Megatron said, releasing Starscream's wing as the door opened again, admitting the remaining on-base officers. "For now, we have plans to make."
Starscream was still shaken, and he felt a twinge of regret for the lost contact. But he forced it all behind a familiar mask of indifference and leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "By which you mean you will reveal your latest plan for total conquest, and the rest of us just have to kill ourselves to make it happen."
His voice shook, but not enough to worry about. Given how Megatron had just been standing over him, no one was going to think much of it.
There was something that looked suspiciously like amusement on Megatron's face as the warlord took his seat, but Starscream pretended not to see it.
So Starscream was still capable of speaking normally to his leader. He'd been so quiet for the last few minutes that Megatron had started to wonder. But after their last proper encounter ended with Starscream's spark in Megatron's hand, he supposed it wasn't surprising. What was surprising was that the Seeker seemed to have fallen ill in the days since then. He was good at hiding it, but there were little things that spoke volumes about his current condition: Silver wings held a bit too low, flicking and twitching the way they always did when he was feeling vulnerable. Normally intense optics dimmed by distress. Just now, in touching his back and wing the way he had, Megatron had confirmed that his sparkpulse and temperature were both elevated beyond what was normal.
Little things. But when it came to Starscream, Megatron had long since learned to disregard the big, obvious displays and focus on the details.
The Seeker continued to give himself away after the meeting began, simply through his lack of normal participation. He wasn't quiet by any means, but he seemed preoccupied and restless, and was certainly less energetic than usual. Megatron couldn't tell if anyone else was watching Starscream, due to the visors which covered every pair of optics, but he was quite sure Hook knew something was wrong. The surgeon supported Scrapper without hesitation when Onslaught criticised the Constructicons' attempts to educate the Stunticons, but like Starscream, he appeared to be distracted.
Of course, that could just be because Hook didn't approve of reprogramming. No one in his Gestalt did, and Megatron couldn't deny that they had a good reason. Even so, he would have to make sure Hook didn't cause any trouble. None of the Constructicons had openly opposed a reprogramming before, but everyone had a breaking point. After the mass enslavement of the Combaticons, Hook could easily be at the end of his tolerance.
It was during a curt rundown of the Decepticons' dwindling supplies from the mech in question that Starscream seemed to reach a breaking point of his own.
"We get it, alright?" he snapped, flopping back in his chair. "We have no fuel, no materials, and a ship full of wasteful idiots. We didn't need a meeting to tell us that. What I want to know is, what are we going to do about it?"
Megatron smiled. "What indeed," he said, taking the opening his Second had unwittingly handed him. "We can import materials from Cybertron, but the space bridge requires a great deal of energon to handle shipments of the size we regularly need; energon we don't have."
"I think I just said that," Starscream stated waspishly. Megatron chose to ignore him.
"Fuel, we can easily obtain," the warlord continued. "We have none to spare only because we use so much to power the space bridge. But once we have the Autobots' matter replicator in our possession, it will be a simple thing to create any materials we need."
It took a moment for his words to sink in. But when they did, Starscream was the first to react.
"Are you crazy?" he demanded, voice strained. "You can't possibly be planning to attack the Ark!"
"On the contrary, Starscream, that's exactly what I'm planning." Megatron glanced at the Seeker as though bored, taking note of the effort his words had required. "Is that a problem?"
Starscream cycled a slow ventilation, possibly exercising a rare moment of self-control, but more likely buying time to phrase his argument in a way that wouldn't trigger his coding. "The Autobots outnumber us two to one," he said finally. "Their security has been steadily improving ever since Red Alert arrived on Earth. The matter replicator is fragging huge. And you want to just march in and take it?"
"A difficult task, but not impossible," Megatron replied, turning to address the room at large. "As you're all aware, the Autobots will be attending a meeting between human leaders tomorrow. A few hours ago, Dirge sent confirmation that his Trine was spotted flying over the site. Soon after, Soundwave picked up a transmission from the humans to the Autobots, requesting additional protection."
Starscream shook his head. "What does that matter if we won't even-" He stopped, optics brightening. "We won't be there..."
"But the Autobots will," Megatron finished. "And if they turn out in force the way they did last time, only their weakest fighters will be left to defend the Ark."
"They'll be expecting something big," Onslaught mused thoughtfully. "All of our recent attacks have been mere energy raids, and it's been two weeks since the last one."
"Yes, two weeks during which our fuel reserves have run dry," Starscream commented, giving his leader a sidelong look. "If this goes badly, we have nothing to fall back on."
"Consider it incentive for everyone to do their part," Megatron said simply. "We'll raid the Autobots' stores when we relieve them of the matter replicator."
"You're banking an awful lot on this plan working, Megatron."
"What is your plan?" Scrapper asked with the air of someone trying to prevent an argument. It wasn't necessary - Megatron had no interest in fighting with Starscream right now - but the Contructicon's effort was amusing.
"Soundwave will go in first to shut down Teletraan-1 and take control of the security systems," Megatron explained. "Our main force will enter through the volcano's crater as soon as the Autobots' communications are down. Once inside, Blast Off, Blitzwing and the Seekers will go for the energon stores-"
"Our main objective is the matter replicator, and you're putting my unit in charge of fuel?" The tense, almost choked sound returned to Starscream's voice when he interrupted, and Megatron regarded him with carefully concealed interest.
"Your unit lost us our last battle," the warlord reminded him, deliberately ignoring the reason for that. "So now they have to make up for the energon we should have obtained then."
"And what about me? The replicator falls into my field of experience, I should be overseeing its removal!"
"You will do what you're told," Megatron said firmly. The Seeker glared at him for only a moment before his optics dimmed again and he looked away, wings lowered in defeat.
"Whatever you say, Leader," he murmured resentfully. Megatron was a bit thrown by the lack of argument, but he gladly took the opportunity to resume speaking.
"The remaining Combaticons will remain with Astrotrain while the Constructicons and I secure the matter replicator. All teams will join Onslaught's group once their respective missions are completed, but the replicator is our top priority. We leave as soon as it's loaded on Astrotrain, so anyone left behind will be on their own."
Starscream shot him a dark look but didn't speak, and Megatron decided to ignore him. He knew abandonment was a sore spot for the moody flier, but Starscream really didn't need to worry about being left behind this time. If he was as sick as Megatron suspected he was, he wouldn't even be going on this mission.
"I don't like the idea of spreading our forces so thin," Scrapper said doubtfully. "We can't count on all of their strongest fighters leaving, and even weak mechs can be dangerous if the numbers are on their side."
"They'll have to spread out as well if they want to stop all of us," Onslaught pointed out. "As long as we can locate and take out their key players, the rest of them will be no trouble. This could work."
"Or it could get us all killed," Starscream huffed, staring fixedly at the edge of the table as he ran his fingers over it. "Am I the only one who realizes that the Autobots won't take their strongest fighters with them? Those lumbering Dinobots would never be allowed near a large gathering of humans, so where do you think they are going to be?"
Obstructionist Seeker. Megatron had no idea how Starscream could rattle off criticisms so easily one second then struggle the next, but however they were delivered, he had lost his patience for them.
"Once again, your sense of caution crosses the line into cowardice. You may be content to hide in your lab and ignore your responsibilities, but the rest of us are fighting a war, and that requires a certain amount of risk. Perhaps if you weren't so focused on yourself, you would be more useful to the Decepticons."
The shock and anger that appeared on Starscream's face were expected; the brief flash of hurt was not. But this was neither the time nor place to wonder about it. "Unless anyone else has anything constructive to add, this meeting is over," Megatron said, running his gaze over his other officers. When no one spoke, he nodded and stood with a curt, "Soundwave, Starscream, with me."
He didn't check to see if they were following as he strode from the room. He knew they would be. Soundwave was still obedient, regardless of whatever he was planning, and Starscream simply had no choice anymore. For possibly the first time in all the millennia that they'd known each other, Megatron could finally trust the rebellious Seeker to do what he was told.
But for some reason, that knowledge wasn't very satisfying.
I think Soundwave has just reached a whole new level of creepy.
So, I'm curious: How does everyone feel about the longer chapters? Are they too much, or preferable?
