Chapter 61: Contacting Starscream
Boom!
Ah!
Zzzzz!
Megatron was truly unpredictable. The moment he laid eyes on the two dazzling beauties his subordinates had brought him, instead of admiring them...he shot them both down, blasting straight toward the AllSpark. What a waste!
"Megatron, what's going on?"
Soundwave was completely puzzled. He had assumed his leader might at least keep one of the skilled attendants, but instead, Megatron had killed them both. Did the Decepticon warlord really have no taste for beautiful women?
"Hmph! It seems Scorponok and that dinosaur fool, Dinobot Scorponok, are trying to build their own empire. The other day they complained about running low on energy, yet they still have the power to create such useless things? Looks like driving the Autobots off Cybertron doesn't mean the war is over. We Decepticons have no room for schemers waiting to stab us in the back!"
Megatron's reasoning was simple: if those two still had the resources to maintain female companions, then their energy reserves must be abundant. That lined up perfectly with the rumors Megatron had been hearing.
Megatron...the traitor who defied the universe...had seen all the profits fall into the hands of opportunists. How could he tolerate such an insult?
"Megatron, shouldn't we be a little more patient? We just finished a massive war, and many Autobots are still wandering across the stars. Exceptional warriors like Commander Starscream are still hunting traitors across the cosmos. Using force against Scorponok or Dinobot Scorponok right now might not be wise. Please, reconsider."
Soundwave wasn't being cowardly...he was being rational. His analysis was for Megatron's own good. Now that Cybertron had been conquered, what would other Transformers think if Megatron suddenly attacked supposed Decepticon "heroes"?
"Fine! I'll admit you have a point. Let's see what my elite warriors have been up to. Since you've mentioned Starscream several times...try contacting him right now. I want to see where that slacker's been hiding lately!"
That was Megatron's nature: he remembered you when he needed you, but if he thought you were useless, he might stab you in the back without hesitation.
At this point, Megatron didn't have many trusted warriors under his command...Soundwave was definitely one of the few he could still rely on.
"Very well. I've recently upgraded our Cybertronian satellite's signal and conducted a systematic scan of that desolate star system. We can now roughly determine that Starscream is on a planet inhabited by carbon-based life forms. Let me try to reach him."
Never underestimate Transformer technology. Even though Starscream had ventured far beyond known space, Cybertron had never stopped searching for him in all the years he'd been missing. This sound transmission linked the largest Cybertronian signal transmitter directly into Megatron's command network, allowing instant communication anywhere, anytime.
Bzzzt... Bzzzt... beep-beep-beep!
Ugh, Li Yuli...
After a burst of static and interference, a faint signal from Starscream finally flickered into Soundwave's system.
"This is Cybertron, calling Starscream. Calling Commander Starscream...this is Soundwave. Do you read me?"
Beep, beep, beep!
The timing couldn't have been worse...or better. Starscream was just about to face off against the old warrior known as Lockdown when a Decepticon insignia suddenly appeared on his arm communicator. The sight startled Starscream and even made Lockdown instinctively lower his weapon.
It was a message from Cybertron...apparently from the Decepticon Supreme Commander himself. A strange emotion flickered in the heart of this veteran Decepticon mercenary; he hadn't spoken with Cybertron in over a thousand years.
Every Transformer carried an inseparable bond to that advanced metal world...a deep sense of belonging rooted in the AllSpark itself.
"Hey, hey, hey, Starscream! Why aren't you answering? It's from Cybertron!"
What's going on? Can't you see the chaos I'm dealing with here? What are those Cybertronians up to?
Encouraged by the old Decepticon warrior before him, Starscream reluctantly activated his communicator. A holographic image of Soundwave immediately appeared before everyone.
"Soundwave, do you know this guy standing in front of me? He says he's an old Decepticon veteran named Lockdown. And this strange underground space...can you see what's in here?"
Since Starscream couldn't explain everything clearly in such a short time, he simply let Soundwave see the situation for himself. After all, Starscream hadn't made any formal deal with those Dinobots, so he wasn't worried about misunderstandings.
"What's this? Commander Starscream, weren't you supposed to be tracking Autobots? How did you end up meeting an ancient Decepticon warrior on that planet? And aren't those the lost Dinobots? How is this possible?"
Soundwave was utterly stunned by what he saw...and Megatron, secretly watching from behind the feed, was equally shocked.
Darts and Sludge...those Dinobot soldiers...had once been renowned supersoldiers. Thankfully, they hadn't participated in the Great Cybertronian War; otherwise, Megatron's side might have suffered catastrophic losses, and even Optimus Prime himself could have betrayed them.
As for this Lockdown, the name stirred an old memory. He was an ancient being who had vanished thousands of years ago. Why was he appearing on that unknown planet now?
And what was that mechanical beast doing, fighting alongside two Dinobots?
"See that? I was just about to face off against that old timer named Lockdown when your message came through. Now that you've found me, I'll report what I've discovered on this planet. Tell Commander Megatron there's an energy source here called oil. It seems to be capable of conversion into a powerful form of energy...one that could fuel our Decepticons for tens of thousands of years! Here, this is a sample I found on this planet!"
Starscream was clearly trying to confuse Soundwave by flooding him with useless information. Of course, the oil that Skyfire had discovered earlier was mixed in among the data as well.
(End of Chapter)