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| - October 02, 2011, 1:56 PM Megatron Shred Slipstream Nova Black Vortex Hookshot Scrapper Quickrazor Knifepoint Laserbeak (Throne Room, Polyhex) --- The throne room is crowded with Decepticons, assembled on Megatron's orders. Rumors have flown for the past few cycles- the repair bay has been deserted much of the time when people have gone by for repairs, populated only with drones, and there is word of a traitor- or traitors- in Medical. The room buzzes with activity, mechs speculating on the reason they have been summoned, and Soundwave makes his way up the center aisle to stand in front of Megatron, shoving a Seeker femme in front of him. Energy cuffs bind her servos behind her back, forcing her wings up awkwardly, and she hisses angrily, which Soundwave shows no reaction to at all. "Lord Megatron. Prisoner Shred, as requested." He bows deeply to the tyrant. Megatron fixes Shred with an intense stare. Then he looks up, over the assembled crowd, and addresses them. "Decepticons, as you may have heard, an Autobot prisoner recently escaped Polyhex. Chief Medical Officer Shred was seen assisting in the escape. The prisoner escaped, along with two more of our medical staff, Robustus and Lifeline. His optics flare, searingly bright, the red of molten metal. The air crackles with energy as his cannon powers up. "I do not know what sudden wave of sympathy for our enemies has overtaken our medical staff, but this behavior is treason. We are Decepticons, and Autobots are our enemies. Nothing must stand in the way of our vision -- and certainly not the weakness of spark that hands our enemies resources and freedom." Shred returns the stare straight to Megatron, her features et like stone, there is no fear in her optics, only contempt, scarcely containedrage, and she spits out her words, "Spare me this mockery of a trial, lord Megatron. To begin with, where is your proof that it was indeed I that was seen? Look around you all, to the nearest Femme to yourselves. More than half of the femmes in our army share my chassis type. Is it not a simple thing indeed to Impersonate my physical form? Even my voice can readily be faked using a modulator. If you think me showing weakness of spark I shall prove you all wrong. I demand my Right, Lord Megatrong. To trial by Combat. Let me face my accuser in single combat!" Slipstream came to the throne room with a sense of trepidation. She had heard the rumors and couldn't quite believe it until she checked repair bay herself to find only the drones active. The seeker femme hadn't been sure what to think of it. But with the entry of her fellow femme seeker, and friend, she knows that answers are forthcoming and that this will not be easy to watch. But she knew that Shred would want her there, if nothing else but to be here in a show of silent support. Her wings shift slightly behind her as Megatron speaks and she frowns a bit at the information he has to accuse her friend with... it is NOT good. The request though from Shred.. well that isn't unexpected and makes her smile a hint. It would be far from Hookshot's desire to be up at the front of the audience, and so somewhere in the midst of murmuring mechs he is situated, donning dark, matte paint as he is more focused on listening than actually watching the scene about to unfold. He is not the tallest of Decepticons, so he barely makes out Soundwave bringing the prisoner front and center. However, he wears an expression of self satisfaction, knowing more than most of the other Decepticons about what has occured, and what will now happen. Or rather, he had a pretty solid idea of what would happen, and with a quirk of his optic ridges, he realized he was not quite prepared for Shred's reaction. There is a sudden uncomfortable shift of his weight, and he ducks just a little bit behind a larger mech. Vortex slouches against the wall and watches. So /this/ is the traitor who lost him his Autobot. He'd love to tear her apart with his bare hands. That was /his/ prisoner, and First Aid's execution was /his/ duty. His prize, really. He feels robbed, and the stare he levels at Shred is one of complete and utter hostility. Nova Black's engines rumble with rage. Lifeline? The medic she herself had brought to Polyhex? The one she had warned Soundwave about before doing so? And worse still, Shred, who she'd have no reason for suspecting, and Robustus, who she'd actually liked? She twitches, her wings quivering. Only the fact that this is Megatron himself keeps her from moving or speaking. Knifepoint barely resists the urge to roll his optics at Shred's request, arms crossed lazily over his chest. He's near the front of the crowd, having arrived quite a bit early for the spectacle, though whether it's some bizzare attempt to prove his unquestioning loyalty or becauses he's never particularly liked the femme in question and wants a good view is a toss up. Scrapper have his arms crossed over his chest as he watched the other assembled decepticons, and the scene that is unfolding inj front of him. He had heard only bits and parts of this story, but he was aware that there had been a traitor involved in the escape of the Autobot Prisonner. His contempt for seekers made him look at this from a very biased viewpoint... One seeker less to bully and aggrivate the ground-based mech would be good, in his book. But to be honest, he was merely curious about the outcomes of what was going to happen today. Laserbeak shifts restlessly on her perch of Soundwave's shoulder, chirping quietly in his audials. Bird though she may be, Shred's request unsettles her. Does she not realize she's in a lose-lose situation? Die of treason, or die in the ring. Which was the more honorable choice? Megatron glares back at Shred. "That is all you have to say for yourself, Shred? The same thing you said to Soundwave after you were caught -- that because there are many Seekers in the Decepticon army, it must have been someone else who aided in the prisoner's escape? Spare me such insults to my intelligence, Soundwave's intelligence, and the intelligence of the mech who caught you." His frown deepens. "And now you demand the right to trial by combat?" He laughs, a short bark of absolute contempt. "Perhaps your spark still has some of the fire it once did, when you fought so well in the pits. Very well -- fight me, if you can. Die as the gladiator you once were, then, and not as the pathetic traitor you've become. But you will be doing it here. I won't have you moving this to the grease pits, as though you've become honorable simply because you've found your courage." Quickrazor watches the scene unfold with hints of incredulity in his optics. "Then Unbind me that I can at least face you in combat fitting for us both, lord Megatron. " shred's words are cold, "the very fact you would not even consider the POSSIBILITY shows your blindness. I may die, but my death will have honour. I heard the prisoner was to be left to rot, to die in his cell. That he was simply to remain unrepaired so he would perish. where's the honor in a death like that? Where is the Strength of the Decepticons shown in it?" Soundwave steps forward silently, releasing the energy cuffs at a nod from Lord Megatron. Slipstream tries not to show her reaction to that reply to Shred's request, keeping as still as possible and her face carefully neutral. She glances around at the others here, looking at how they hold themselves. Those looks that she can see are not at all promising. Mentally she prepares herself for the worst.. for that is all she can expect. Her wings twitch... Although Hookshot considered his actions to backfire, he was not going to ignore what he witnessed in the tunnels that cycle. Hookshot carefully hides his growing discomfort under the calm veil of a slight smile, narrowing his crimson filtered optics somewhat, preparing for the possibility of being singled out. It surely comes as a relief when Megatron immediately volunteers himself as Shred's executioner. He was increasingly more grateful, as he glances at a few of the agitated mechs about who were partial to Shred, that his was kept anonymous. It could be easy to say that Hookshot's loyalty points, if it were arbitrarily forced into a scale, increased at this. The prisoner was to have no such thing happen, Vortex thinks. He was to die at Vortex's own hands, and only after Vortex had finished with him. He snarls and nudges his way through the crowd, aiming to get to the font. Megatron's words weren't what he wanted to hear, but if the traitor's going to get the scrap kicked out of her by Megatron, then Vortex is damned well going to get a good view of the carnage. Quickrazor sees the Seeker femme, a purported traitor to both her function /and/ her faction, and begins to wish heartily that his new post wasn't going to be quite this much of a challenge. Replacing a bunch of newly executed 'Cons is not the easiest way to begin one's workday... Knifepoint's optic ridges rise sharply as Megatron actually agrees to the femme's request- not something he would have expected. When Shred speaks again, he doesn't bother to stop the quiet snort of contempt, as it's not likely to be easily heard over the explosion of murmuring from the crowd in response. At the mention of the grease pits, one hand comes up to rub his jaw, and he nudges a few other mechs out of the way until he's almost at the very front of the crowd. Nova Black frowns. She's not sure if she likes this. On the one hand, even scum deserve to die fighting. On the other, this particular piece of scum is apparently a traitor to the Empire. Even at Nova's worst low point, she would never have stooped to *that.* Maybe Shred doesn't deserve a chance to defend herself. Nova's engines rumble again in angry anticipation as she watches. Quickrazor moves slightly closer, having never seen his Leader in combat before. Sizing up the two, Quickrazor figures it'll be quick and messy. He idly wonders if he'll be allowed whatever spare parts remain, there /is/ a war going on, after all. Soundwave steps carefully to the side. He has no doubts about his leader's ability to obliterate Shred, former gladiator herself or not- but he equally has no desire to get caught up in what is likely to be a messy object lesson. Megatron's optics widen. "What?! I ordered the prisoner's execution. Why would I allow --" He stops, not wanting to admit too much about this particular prisoner's importance, especially not now that the prisoner is back in Autobot hands. "-- a prisoner to waste away in the cells when he could simply be terminated and done with? He was to be given to his interrogator for disposal, as a reward for service well done. "But even if that were not so," he continues, his cannon glowing bright with energy, "what cause do you have to complain? It is not for *you* to decide which of our enemies lives or dies, *or* how they meet their ends. Rise, and fight -- or be silent, submit, and die with what dignity remains to you." Scrapper thinks that now, it was going to be interesting. Megatron was going to tear that little traitor to shreds, no doubt about that. She had guts to even think of challenging him and she was going to oay the price. Well, the fact that Megatron had stepped down in to tke the accuser's place to fight the femme was... interesting all by itself. Shred stretches herself a moment, remaining silent for a long moment as she reaches to extract her glaive from her subspace compartment. "What cause do I have to complain? I have honour. And I hate to see Waste. A clean death, or even recruitment. " then she launches herself at Megatron, whirling with her glaive in a spinning blow, aimed to knock the fusion cannon aside,her first strike, intended to take what opening she had, and give herself more time to survive. Shred picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(its dexterity) against Megatron's agility. Shred's roll succeeds! Slipstream hasn't moved from her spot, allowing others to jostle for watching locations that are close. She can see fine from where she is standing, so the first attack from Shred is no surprise. Another wing twitch, but otherwise she keeps herself oddly stiff. Vortex watches intently, pleased at Megatron's confirmation of his skills in such a public place, but also hopeful that Shred should lose her life in as painful and prolonged a manner as possible. Quickrazor begins to doubt very seriously if there is going to be enough left of Shred to sweep into a small pouch, much less usable to repair another, less foolish Seeker. He crosses his arms and stands firmly, knowing deep within his Spark that the Seeket deserved whatever she got. The fight has officially begun, or in Hookshot's mind, the roundabout execution. He glances about himself, almost wondering if he shouldn't slap together some odds and begin taking bets. However, he thinks better of bringing attention to himself presently. He is more than happy to step aside and let people pass as they eagerly swarm forward for a better view of the fight at hand. Hookshot also contemplates making an early exit, but that certainly would be too conspicuous. Just as Megatron aims his cannon, Shred's strike knocks his arm to the side. He would miss if he fired now, and very possibly hit one of the other Decepticons gathered to watch. He transforms his hand into his flail, whirling it in the air and then strking out at Shred's chestplate. The medic is a traitor; it's only fitting that he should aim for the parts of her covering her faithless spark. The energon flail slams into shred's cockpit, dashing the lightly built femm to the ground with a crash and a grunt of pain, but she is not about to give up so readily. throwing herself back at Megatron, she thrusts with her glaive for his torso, at the armor beneath which she knows there are power systems within his chassis. Shred picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(its dexterity) against Megatron's agility. Shred's roll fails! Scrapper almost felt sorry as the femme's being pounded into the ground by the much more experienced gladiator that is Megatron. He winced a bit at the sound of crunshed metal and glass and take a couple steps closer to get a better viewpoint. This was going to be an execution, only the one executed had a chance - barely - to fight. Quickrazor watches the Seeker hit the ground and internally winces. He knows that that frame can't take too much of that before crumpling into a hundred pieces. Slipstream grimaces as Shred is slammed by that flail, then misses her follow up attack. Yeah.. not looking good for the ex-pit fighter at all. Vortex grins under his mask as the flail connects. Now that's more like it Knifepoint smirks at the satisfying crunch of glass and metal as Lord Megatron's flail slams into Shred's chest. It may not be the one-shot-and-done execution he was expecting, but this way he might even get a 'souvenir', judging by how messy this beating- it's unfair to Lord Megatron to even call it a fight- is looking to be. Former gladiator Shred may be -- but so is Megatron himself. He long ago learned how to study his opponets, their weapons, and how they used them. When the glaive-thrust comes, he's ready for it, twisting so that her blade scratches ineffectually at the thickest part of his chest plating. For a moment he regards her crumpled frame, considering. Then he recalls her own words about the many Seekers in his army and gives a dark little smile. He wants his Decepticons to do more than simply behold his might or cheer the death of a traitor; he wants them to learn what it means to betray his Empire and pay for it. He aims his flail for Shred's wing, knowing very well what it will mean to his Seekers to watch him destroy such an important part of one of their kind. And how much it will hurt, and that they will all immediately know it. Shred lets out a yell of pain as she is slammed to her side, her left wing ripped off by the impact from the emperor's weapon.. "Go to slag, asshole.. " she charges in close again, trying to get inside Megatron's reach where it would be more than a little awkward to use his flail, let alone his cannon, but where she can use her own heeljets to try and burn away his legs. Shred picks up the dicebag and rolls 3+(its dexterity) against Megatron's agility. Shred's roll fails! Nova Black winces in spite of herself. She didn't expect this to be pretty -- and considering she's taking the Lifeline thing personally and Shred was apparently part of it, she doesn't *want* it to be pretty, either. Still, that was Shred's *wing*! Her own wings twitch involuntarily as she imagines what the full force of an enraged Megatron would do to them. Slipstream's wings full on twitch fully back against each other behind in reaction to that strike from the Emperor. Another grimace crossing her facial features. Then slowly she brings her wings back into normal orientation and works on regaining her compusure. Quickrazor watches with almost clinical detachment at the systematic destruction of the traitor's wing. All the delicate circuitry, the sensors designed to detect the slightest changes in airflow and pressure...nothing but slag, now, at the hands of the one who held the lives of the entire Decepticon army in his powerful servos. She had betrayed that, betrayed /him/, and for that she deserved whatever she got. When the wing comes off, Vortex cheers. This execution is getting better by the astrosecond. Knifepoint manages not to flinch as the wing comes off with a rather grating shriek of metal and snapping cables, still smirking. Well, that hurt. He briefly entertains the idea of trying to retrieve the slagged wing after the fight, but decides against it. At least, not as a /personal/ souvenir. Maybe hang it up in the barracks as a reminder? Or maybe even the repair campus, since they seem to be having difficulty keeping medics... Scrapper looks with fascination at the meticulous destruction of the seeker's most precious and sensitive appendage. Seeker wings, he knew firsthand, were probably the most sensitive part of any Cybertronian, and he couldn't help the grin that came to his faceplates. He really didn't like seekers much, and that traitor deserved no less. let Megatron tear her to pieces. Seeing only scraps here, and mostly hearing the carnage, even Hookshot cringes a few times just at the mere sounds of metal and glass being crashed, crumpled, and otherwise make loud impact noises. However, for the most part, the decimation of a wing does not rightly effect him, partially due to not seeing, and partially due to, though being a flyer of sorts, he is not a seeker and feels little empathy for them. Hookshot is merely waiting for it all to be over. Megatron sees the telltale light in Shred's heeljets and steps aside. Hearing her cry, he chuckles and transforms his hand again, grabbing for Shred's other wing as she tries to fly by him. "What did you call me?" he rasps, his voice soft and lethal, before giving the wing a hard wrench. With a shower of brightly glowing energon, it comes halfway loose in his hands. He roars, squatting down with a sudden motion to let gravity aid him in his grisly work, and twists hard at the wing again, until it pops free in his hands. Keeping an optic on Shred to be sure she won't get up and attack him again, he holds up the wing for the audience to see. He hurls it overhead, transforming his arm again, and fires at it with his cannon. It flares bright lavender as the ray of energy overtakes it and disintegrates, a fine spray of ash falling over the heads of the spectators as Megatron drops once again into a fighting crouch. Shred is caught by Megatron, and the squeal of tearing metal drowns out the inevitable scream of agony as her remaining wing is manually torn from her body, dropping to her knees, she struggles in her pain to get back to her feet, defiance still in her optics, "I called you.. An asshole.. " Spitting up congealed energon she glares at him, "To think I once looked up to you.. You don't care about the strength of cybertron. Just yourself. " Quickrazor snickers at the showy display. It seemed that their supreme overlord still recalled the thrill of showing off in the pits. He raised two fingers, catching some ash between them and rubbing the traitor's wingstuff between them. Pitiful. Slipstream grimaces again, wings trembling. She grits her denta together to keep quiet. Shred is only digging herself further into the literal pit and there is nothing she can say about it... Megatron's optics narrow. The air hums as he feeds power to his cannon. "I don't care about the strength of Cybertron?" he hisses. This isn't his stage voice, dredged up from the past to impress his audience. This is rage, clear and cold. "I don't care -- I, who have fought for the warrior castes since the very beginning? I, who taught them -- taught everyone here -- to remember their destinies? To remember what it meant to have a fighter's spark? I, who bade us all leave the pits behind because I recognized that slaying one another kept us from seizing the power we truly deserved?" His mouthplates twist into a grim smile. "It is you, not me, who turn against your own. And you who pay the price." So saying, he aims his cannon; the time for showy maneuvers is over. Optics blazing, he fires. The blast from Megatron's cannon strikes Shred clean in the chest, blasting the Femme backwards, up into the crowd of the spectators, her armor shattered, her body leaking energon even as her optics begin to dim. She's dying and she knows it. Quickrazor watches the Seeker femme fly backward. It's within his power, his skill to aid the traitor, snd part of him /wants/ to, to ease the suffering of a fellow 'Con with the talent his training has granted him. But this one gave up that right when she'd betrayed her Lord. Quickrazor stares down at the dying Seeker, optics narrowed, and only watches as her energon seeps into the ground in a terrible flood. Vortex grins happily, revelling in the sight of the traitor's death. Painful, violent, and hopefully a sign to anyone else that stealing his prisoner and denying him his given right to snuff their spark is a very bad idea indeed. Nova Black's spark surges with pride as she listens to Megatron. All of that was far before her time, but without it, she wouldn't be who she is. And she knows very well what it means to be lost. She watches intently as Megatron fires, smiling grimly. Scrapper looks down as the fwmme land almost at his pedes, his expression grim, and cold. He has no compassion for traitors, at all, and she had gotten just what she deserved. He is an engineer, but ha has medical knowledge, and the wound had hit her square in the chjest, probably pierce the spark chamber, She will die in a matter of moments. Megatron's justice had been made. Slipstream watches that cannon light up with its deadly power, hears that unholy sound to makes. She turns her gaze away, not wanting to see this. The sound of the shot going off, the impact of it, Shred's scream... she grips her hands into fists. Once Shred's form has stilled among the others that she had been driven into does the seeker move, shoving others aside to drop to Shred's side and she whispers, "Safe journey." her way of saying goodbye as she takes the other femmes' hand in her own. The mere hum and sound of discharge from Megatron's trademark cannon is enough to tell Hookshot that it was over, or at least close to being over. Certainly, this was confirmed by her torn body being blasted amdist the crowd and the response of mechs and femmes all about him. Hookshot stares towards where Shred fell into the crowd, only a slight smirk twisting its way onto his lips. It's over, and apprehension can be gone. However, there is no question that Shred had those loyal or friendly with her, and for a while, he will have to make himself aware of who they are and be cautious of them. Weaving his way closer to Shred to be sure she's dead, despite the overhwleming evidence, his optics fall on Slipstream going to the traitor's side. Yes. She will definately be on his list. Knifepoint twitches his wings as the ash falls down over the crowd, watching it with fascination. It's slightly disgusting to be covered in the remnants of the femme's wing, but for now it's interesting enough he can ignore just how long he'll be spending in the washracks later getting all of this off. Megatron's speech draws his optics back to the display before them, and his smirk grows into an outright grin as the cannon goes off. When Shred's blasted into the crowd, he shoves his way toward where she fell, stopping just inside the circle around her. Oooh, this was even better than he'd hoped... He sneers at the sight of Slipstream by the fallen femme. "Don't touch that, Slipstream- who knows where it's been." Shred lays now, her spark fading, her optcs dimming as she looks up.. "It's over.. I'm sorry.. Slip. " The former chief medic's body shudders, energon flowing out intermittently, circuitry sparking. "Only did what I had to.. for rob.. " Shred 's head turns to it's side as the last of the energon leaves her systems. Hookshot raises his optic ridges at Shred and Slipstream's last moments together, and cannot help but let out a low, wry chuckle. Such sentimental nonesense. With the spectacle fairly much over, Hookshot turns on his heel, barely much notice in his uniform black paintjob, and strides out from among the crowd, heading for the exit. Knifepoint watches Shred's empty shell for a few moments with narrowed optics before crouching down next to the mostly ruined frame and prodding it with one finger. "I wonder if Lord Megatron will let us hang its head in the repair campus." He snickers cruelly, wings twitching in amusement at his own suggestion. "That would be a good reminder to all our future medics of /exactly/ what happens to traitors." Quickrazor exvents almost imperceptibly. He knows that he's to report, but unfortunately they never informed him to whom he was to report. He /definitely/ did not want to approach the High Command with something so mundane as repkrting for medic duty, especially after seeing a Seeker blown to bits right before his optics. Megatron notices Slipstream approaching Shred and narrows his optics, watching her carefully. He says nothing, however, instead turning to the crowd again. Energon spatters his frame, still glowing, as he addresses them "Decepticons. Remember that what you have seen today is about more than the pleasure you rightly take in the destruction of an enemy. This is about what it means to be one of us. To take this mark." He indicates the insignia branded on his chest. "This is an oath. A vow of loyalty -- not merely to me as your Leader, but to a vision. A vision of conquest and glory. A vision of Cybertron as the fist of the galaxy. The seat of an Empire, ruled by those strong enough and powerful enough to raze anyone who stands in its way and to seize and claim the rest." He gazes out over the assembly. "There is no place in such an Empire for misplaced compassion. Nor for those who cannot devote themselves whole-sparkedly to the vision that will bring it about." Slipstream nods to Shred. Watching her until her friend no longer has light in her optics or exposed spark before rising up and keeping her face carefully neutral. She salutes Megatron, just to cover any potential fallout approaching Shred as she did, "Glory to the Decepticons forever." she intones softly, voice oddly even despite the fact her friend just died. A frown given to Knifepoint's suggestion. Quickrazor gazes at his leader. "All Hail Lord Megatron!" he calls, putting one servo to his forehead and kneeling. Soundwave bows deeply in the direction of Lord Megatron. "Glory to the Empire." "All hail Megatron," Nova Black repeats, her optics bright. Scrapper says, "Hail Megatron." Scrapper sais clearly and stand straight, looking at his leader with undisguised pride and add. "And Glory to the Decpticons, forever."" Hookshot stops in his tracks as he was about to leave before actually being dismissed. Whoops. Hookshot whirls around to address the speech given by their fearless leader. He follows the lead of others with a salute and a loud "HAIL MEGATRON!" Megatron nods to the assembled Decepticons. "Dismissed. But remember the lesson behind what has happened today." Knifepoint pushes himself back to standing, offering Lord Megatron a deep bow and struggling to wipe the grin off his face. "Glory to the Decepticon Empire and its rightful, eternal leader." He says before straightening, looking almost forlornly at the corpse as they're dismissed. He didn't get a chance to make his suggestion about the head, or even take anything... Slag. Quickrazor won't be forgetting /that/ anytime soon. He is effectively replacing the offlined Seeker, and will likely be under greater scrutiny than normal. He resolved himself to prove to everyone that he at least would do his job. He turns, wondering where the repair bay happened to be. Oh, Hookshot will remember the lesson well. The lesson is merely, if you are going to pull one over on the Decepticons, is to not get caught. With a smirk of a job well done in exposing the traitor and even being a small part of the interrogation, Hookshot takes the dismissal with enthusiasm and heads for the door. What he could really use now is some strong energon an the freedom to air his opinions. Slipstream departs the throne room silently.
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