Revelations are made, and dark inspiration takes root.
A deep rumble emitted from his broad chassis as he finished scrutinizing the numbers, cradling the slender data pad in his immense servo while his mind tumbled over the information. To his left, the seeker shifted, waiting for his master's verdict.
"Everything seems to be in order."
"Seems, my liege?"
Megatron handed the device to his second in command, sharp optics sliding over the monitors that displayed surveillance throughout his mining operations. "Things are not always as they seem, Starscream. Our enemy has not vanished, which means we simply are not looking in the right places."
The slender flyer stepped closer to the console, glance passing between screens as he searched for something they had yet to detect. He found nothing. "Perhaps they are too weak to attempt more raids?"
The towering silver mech frowned. "Highly unlikely. They need energon to survive, just as any of us do, and when we took their base we ensured to destroy everything they had. There is no exposed deposit upon this planet they would be able to mine without drawing attention from our forces, and they do not have the means to mine anything that might be hidden."
The seeker shook his helm. His lord had scoured the footage, and the reporting. Nothing was unaccounted for, according to the data. He did not know why Megatron remained so insistent that they were in fact missing anything. "The mines are under watch at all times. Were they to attempt an attack, we would know immediately. And if they raided our stock, the numbers would reflect such deficiencies."
The look he was given made him flinch for the briefest second, but he recovered quickly, hoping his master hadn't noticed.
"Which tells me we are missing a piece of the puzzle," Megatron clipped, reflecting on what they knew and looking for gaps. "They are not foolish enough to attack, nor do they have the capability to harvest their own resources without us knowing. If I were in such a position, the smartest thing to do would be to allow my enemy to harvest said resources for me, and then find a way to intercept them, undetected. Is there any point during our operation, any place that is not constantly under watch?"
Starscream mulled over the inquiry. "We maintain surveillance over the workers, take stock of the energon as it is harvested, and store it until transport. The stores are organized and guarded at all times." He pointed to a monitor that displayed one such stockpile, the cavern filled with rows of crates, all neatly placed. At its entrance two drones directed the flow of resources as they entered, noting the addition as they went in... as they went in. He looked sharply at Megatron, who was staring knowingly back at him.
The seeker wasted no time in ordering a full count of all future energon shipments upon arrival to DarkMount. If the Autobots were stealing from them during transport, they would find out soon enough.
"If they are indeed managing to utilize such a small window of opportunity, they are far more clever than I gave them credit for," he muttered sourly, wings perking sharply at his back.
Megatron nodded. "Indeed, yet even the most cautious can be caught, if the right trap is laid. One such resident of our cells can attest to that."
The sleek mech snickered. "It is most fortunate that we were able to deprive them of such a valuable asset."
Shifting his attention from his second in command, the warlords thoughts turned to the two-wheeler, renowned for her stealth. How many times had she snuck past his defenses? How many times had she stolen from him? Yes, it had been a most beneficial development that she was apprehended.
"But it is as you say, my liege, even the most cautious can be caught unawares, made to cast their better judgement to the wayside. Arcee is no exception to that, especially when one knows how to... rouse her temper," Starscream crowed, talons tapping together smugly.
That snagged Megatron's attention, and his piercing red gaze fell on the seeker once more as he continued on his boastful tirade.
"She's got quite the appetite for vengeance, that one. Her relentless pursuit of those who have harmed her partners has often pushed her to act brashly. I still recall the burn of sheer fury in her optics when I revealed that I'd been the one to extinguish her precious Cliffjumper. And her panic when we decimated their human companions. Delicious."
The sneer that curled the warlords lip components would have stopped the hardiest Insecticon in their tracks, and the smaller bot took a step away from his daunting leader as he began to chuckle ominously.
"M-Master?"
"Starscream... you have provided me with unexpected inspiration. I have another assignment for you, one that I think you will most thoroughly enjoy." He turned then, stalking from the room. As he left he called back over his pauldron, "Come, let us visit our little captive."
Understanding dawned on him, and the seeker hurried to follow, anticipation slithering through is frame.
o_o Uh oh...