| abstract | - August 14, 2011, 1:21 PM (Throne Room, Polyhex) Megatron watches as Starscream and Soundwave enter his throne room. His silver faceplates remain impassive, and only a flare of bright crimson light in his optics reveals any hint of a reaction to either their entrance or the sorry state of Starscream's frame and paint job. He nods to Soundwave in acknowledgment before immediately turning to Starscream. "Starscream. I require a full report on the mission to disperse the rains, the current status of the weather in Polyhex and its environs, and whether any storm activity remains or is expected to occur soon." Starscream gives Soundwave a snide look. It's his fault he is now being called into the throne room. He looks at Megatron and strikes a pose of confidence even in spite of his deplorable acid rain damaged state. "I.. I can't give you a full report on ANYTHING regarding mission to disperse the storm, or the present conditions of the weather because /someone/ wouldn't let me read the reports on the computer." He looks fully at Soundwave then and twitches a wing. Then he looks back at Megatron and says in a sarcastic sweet tone. "Besides I am of no... Rank... Now." and he grinds out the 'now'. "To tell you anything. I'm not... privy to know anything other then my... orders..." and he grinds out that last word as well. His optics flare a bit and he fights to keep the sneer off his lips. Soundwave watches silently as the rather decrepit looking Seeker flounces into the throneroom, no emotion visible in his stance except for respectful attention to the warlord at the front of the throneroom. Megatron smirks at Starscream. "Perhaps so, Starscream -- but you were there. Soundwave was not. If Soundwave has prevented you from developing a full report, that does nothing to excuse you from providing a partial one." He turns his attention to Soundwave. "Is what he tells me true? He was assigned new quarters as a result of the reorganization, yes, but if he has been fully locked out of the computers as he claims, he must have done something to deserve it." His optics flare again, a deep frown creasing his faceplates. "Do tell me. What was that?" "Starscream's assumption: faulty. Computers outside the intelligence compound: available for public use, as always. Starscream's clearance, appropriate for his current rank." Soundwave says flatly. His visor gleams slightly. He might be enjoying this- Primus knows the seeker has made life difficult for him often enough. "Suggestion to use terminal outside of inteligence center: ignored by Starscream." Starscream clenches his fists angrilly. "I did nothing to deserve being locked out of them! And I needed to see ALL of the reports, you mor-- Soundwave to MAKE my report. Not that it's my job anymore..." Man he hated doing reports before and now that hes lost his rank he still can't get out of them. He realizes this a bit irritably and continues. "And of course I was there Megatron --" he gives him a deadpan look as if to say 'look at my paintjob'. "Yes I went out, blasted through some clouds, dispersing them, came back for repairs. Only to find out /after the fact/ that I was suppose to have been coated with corrostop.. But no one told me... imagine that." Megatron frowns, the air around him crackling as his cannon hums to life. "Starscream. You will address Soundwave with respect befitting his rank, until you behave in ways that show some interest in re-earning yours." His lip curls in undisguised derision. "And yes, *all* of the Seekers were to have been coated in protective compounds. Stormfront should have informed you of this." He smiles coldly. "Or do you mean to tell me you didn't see fit to attend that meeting?" Starscream thinks for a moment. "Yes I was at some meeting, if thats what you want to call it. I left though as it was obvious I wasnt needed." truth is he was still stinging from being demoted and his emotions had the better of him. "I don't recall anything about corrostop though. Thundercracker was not aware of it either. Is this the way the new 'Air Commander' keeps his Seekers in the know?" Megatron stands, rising to his full height and pointing his cannon directly at Starscream. "Stormfront is a loyal soldier who has been with the Decepticons from the beginning," he snarls. "You know that as well as I." Starscream for once doesn't cower and looks at Megatron coldly, "He's a gym teacher and nothing more." he begins defiantly. "Oh but yes. give him MY plans, MY research into solving the Acid Rain system and then MY RANK and lets see how he does, right? He FAILED. And you had no right to separate the trines like you did, Megatron. It shows just how UNknowledgeable you truly are where it comes to Seekers. And Stormfront wasn't any better. Consider yourself fortunate that MY plan was actually pulled off as ill executed as it was..." No he's not done yet. "And you want me to beg for my rank back? I won't give you the pleasure but, I can work my way back to the top like I did before..." His optics glow at that. "And then you will be short some 'troops'... Face it, /leader/, only by the grace of Primus was this mission a success. It certainly had nothing to do with the new 'Air Commander'. I could have pulled this off in a lot less time with a lot lower repair bill and you know it..." Ok he's tired of rambling now. Megatron grabs roughly at one of the most damaged spots on one of Starscream's wings and hauls him up by it, half-dangling him in front of his cannon. If he shoots now, with Starscream already damaged, at such close range... it will *not* be pretty. "The grace of Primus, Starscream?" He gives the wing a savage twist. "What do you take me for, one of those would-be prophets in Crystal City? If the mission succeeded, it did so due to ingenuity on the part of the best of the Decepticons -- including yours, despite your atrocious behavior now." He tightens his grip on the point of Starscream's wing, crushing it in his hand. "But if it did succeed, it *also* did so due to dedication -- dedication that *you* seem perfectly content to deny. What use is your brilliant processor to me if you persist in this absurd belief that it is up to *you* when you are required to use it?" Soundwave is still and silent. If seeing his sometimes rival so discomfited is pleasing- or troubling, as unlikely as that is- he gives no indication. Nor does he interrupt Lord Megatron's discipline of a wayward soldier. Starscream cries out inspite of himself when hes yanked up by an already sore wing. Then when it's twisted he makes no attempt to hide his pain. He hears Megatron's comments through a haze of agony and a blur of damage reports and error messages on his internal HUD, "What do you want.. from me?" he seethes through the pain and then yelps as that point on his wing is then crushed. "Me-megatron.. stoppleasestopstop!." He's begging now as he struggles inspite of himself. Through the agony hes in his mind is desparately trying to formulate just what his leader's getting at. "Dedi--deication.." he stammers, "I.. understandIunderstand... pleaseletmego--I understandnow..leaderMyLeader." He desparately tries to reach back toward the spot on his wing that is now destroyed (slag he just got those wings replaced from the last time he was in the throne room too) but he's frankly in too much pain to get anything to work right at this point. Megatron lets go of Starscream's wing, only to kick the Seeker square in the glass of his chestplate and send him flying halfway across the throne room. "That's better," he says, faceplates still shifted into an expression of utter contempt. "But did you understand a word I said, or were you only hoping to wriggle out of getting shot?" He walks toward the spot where Starscream lies in a crumpled and undignified heap on the throne room floor and glares down at him, his cannon still pointed at the Seeker. "If you want your old rank back, fool, then tell me why exactly you deserve it." Starscream gets let go and then kicked in the chest. He crashes to the floor several yards away and lays there in a pile of pain. His agony is interrupted though as he sees the cannon pointed at him again. "No I understood I understood every word Leader." he says quickly and then through more will power than anything else he struggles to his knees and reaches for Megatrons feet with his head lowered. "I.. I deserve to be Air Commander. I am your best Seeker your fastest Seeker your loyal Seeker--" he coughs up some energon suddenly but he keeps himself in his prone position, a position of servitude. He continues in his non stop explanation, "No one can command the skies like I can Mighty Leader -- no one you need me no I need you to allow me to serve the Empire and your will as your Air Commander." Megatron listens to Starscream's pleas, his mouthplates slowly smoothing into an impassive, grim line. He makes no move to push the Seeker off of the leg he's clinging to, though he does keep his cannon trained on Starscream. "Yes, you are the best flier in my army, for all the nonsense you endlessly spout." Not daring to shift his gaze away from Starscream for a moment, he calls, "Soundwave. What exactly did Starscream do during the mission to disperse the acid rains? Was he as lazy as he usually is, or did he actually exert himself on behalf of the Empire?" "Starscream... followed orders. Adequately." Soundwave grates. "Manuvers: innovative. Percentage of storm dispersed individually: 18, highest of all participating flyers. Video available." He adds the last as almost an afterthought. Megatron smirks. "Exactly as I expected." He stares at Starscream, still clinging in a ruined heap to his leg. "And yet you always insist on this petty, rebellious nonsense, wasting time you could spend on fulfilling your potential." He kicks lightly at the hands clutching at him. "What have you to say for yourself now?" he asks, waiting to see if he will hear the same contrition now that he's not actively denting or throwing or breaking anything. Starscream is kicked off his hold on Megatron's leg and he looks up at him. Oh this is a trick question, one he better answer well. "I did my best for the Empire Lord Megatron." he stammers for once keeping himself in check on what hed rather brag about instead. Though hearing that all he did was destroy 18 percent of the storm bugs him a bit but no, that's not the issue. What teamwork he showed, well what little of it is what he has to concentrate on now. Megatron chuckles. He knows full well any humility Starscream demonstrates is faked. But for now, that's all he requires. "Good answer, Starscream. Very well -- you can have your rightful rank back, *at my discretion.*" He hoists Starscream up bodily, not bothering to avoid particularly damaged spots on his plating. Half-supporting the Seeker, who is still a bit unsteady on his feet, he speaks again. "Remember that you serve the Empire, Starscream." He fixes Starscream with an intense glare, his optics gleaming the red of molten metal. "Remember what that means." With that, he lets go and half turns away, not deigning to pay Starscream more attention, but also knowing better than to turn his back on the Seeker, even if he *is* damaged. Starscream yelps as hes hefted back onto his feet and doesn't argue as hes half supported by his leader as he is unsteady right now. "Thanks you, Megatron." he says quietly in acknowledgement at being told he has recovered his rank. Then he finds his leader staring straight at him at almost point blank range. He cant shrink back cause hes being somewhat held right now so instead he assumes a passive look, "I will remember, Leader." he says then in answer to Megatrons' last comment. Shortly after that hes abruptly let go and nearly falls back down again. The Seeker regains his footing barely and realizes Megatron hasn't turned his back on him. And he knows why too. It fills him with a sense of satisfaction at knowing that even in his present condition, even after the 'conversation' there are those that know better than to turn their back on him. And one of those is the infamous 'slag maker'. How nice. "Then you are dismissed." Megatron smirks, seeing Starscream falter out of the corner of his optic. "Soundwave. Escort him out of here," he says as he walks back to his throne and sits back down on it." "As you command, Lord Megatron." Soundwave bows deeply and turns to grab the arm of the newly reinstated Air Commander, not particularly gently. "Suggestion: cooperate."
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