Skygnaw looked at the cavern teeming with mechanical insects. "So these things are...?"
"They are my little darlings," Blackarachnia said, a strange light dancing in her optics—a mix of obsession and pride. "War machines I bred myself. They can consume inorganic matter to self-replicate."
Self-replication? A formidable trait, though their individual raw power seemed lacking. Skygnaw figured Eri called them "Black Shucks" likely because of Blackarachnia's own dark chassis.
As if reading his thoughts, a mysterious, knowing smile touched Blackarachnia's face. "Most are still in the larval stage. Even the largest hasn't reached full maturity yet. They are still developing. If the resources are sufficient, it takes very little time for them to reach their final form. A fully grown insect can chew through the armor of an Elite-class warrior with ease."
Skygnaw stared at the mouthparts of the insects—heavy alloy mandibles designed for grinding. He immediately retracted his internal scoff. Fair enough. I shouldn't have underestimated them.
After observing the swarm for a moment, Skygnaw spoke. "I've found what I came for. I'm preparing to head back to Earth. What about you?"
Blackarachnia didn't ask what he had found. She exchanged a glance with Scalpel. "Actually, before you arrived, we had already decided to leave this rock."
The three of them tacitly avoided mentioning the undead husk in the spire. Who would want to deal with an indestructible monster that could infect you with a single bite? Without a desperate reason to kill it, leaving Cyclonus to rot on Rubicund was the best tactical move.
...
The group emerged onto the surface. Pestilence brought the transport ship down from orbit, while Blackarachnia retrieved her own ship from its underground hiding spot.
"I didn't expect this ship to end up in your hands," Blackarachnia remarked, eyeing the familiar Decepticon transport. She clearly assumed Skygnaw had taken it by force from the previous strike teams.
"It's not what you think," Skygnaw explained briefly. "After you and Scalpel left Earth, the Autobots raided the landing zones... the original crews were defeated, and the ship was seized by NEST. I captured several Autobots later and traded them back for it."
"Hmph," Blackarachnia spat. "Decepticons without Megatron truly are a pack of disorganized rabble."
Skygnaw rubbed his nose, wondering if he was included in her definition of "rabble."
They boarded their respective ships. Skygnaw entered the cockpit and synced flight paths with Blackarachnia's vessel. The two ships roared to life, piercing the atmosphere in tandem.
...
Mars: Olympus Mons, Inside the Buried Warship.
"Is Lord Fallen awake yet?"
Starscream had lost track of how many times he had come looking for the ancient master, only to be told he was still in stasis. This time, however, he got the answer he wanted.
"Lord Starscream, the Fallen has just awakened," the Cybertronian guard replied respectfully, careful not to offend the second-in-command.
"Excellent!"
Starscream beamed, pushing past the guard and strutting into the med-bay. He found the Fallen soon after. The ancient being was no longer the frail wreck barely able to sit up in a stasis pod; he was leaning against a massive medical chair. Although energy conduits still snaked into his frame, his aura was transformed—he looked like a king who had just conquered a terminal illness.
"Starscream. You've come."
The Fallen tilted his head slightly, glancing at the seeker. Leaving the pod meant he no longer needed sleep to stabilize his Spark, but the lingering weakness made him loath to waste words.
Starscream, knowing flattery never went out of style, stepped closer with an expression of feigned concern. "Lord Fallen, seeing you recover so rapidly brings me immense relief."
The Fallen stared at Starscream for a beat, his face a mask of indifference. "Enough, Starscream. What is it?"
Starscream's spark skipped a beat at the cold reception, but he pushed forward with his prepared script. "Lord Fallen, the Decepticons are currently leaderless and in chaos. Our forces on Earth are being hunted to extinction by the alliance of Autobots and humans. I cannot bear to see the empire you founded fall into such disrepute. It is time the rabble meets their true founder. They need to return to your leadership to restore our former glory."
He paused, gauging the reaction. "Since you no longer require the stasis pod, I believe the time is right. If you were to appoint me as the new Leader of the Decepticons during their audience with you... I guarantee I will lead them as your vanguard and sweep all obstacles from that planet."
Starscream was effectively attempting a soft coup. He wanted the title of Leader more than anything in the universe.
"Starscream... tell me about the current state of the Decepticons and that planet." The Fallen ignored the request for leadership, asking a question instead.
"Ah?" Starscream blinked, unable to read the ancient Prime's intent. "Yes, Lord Fallen. The Autobots and humans have formed a tight alliance. Shockwave has sent three waves of reinforcements. The first was ambushed and nearly wiped out... the second arrived via Space Bridge..."
Realizing he was listing nothing but failures, Starscream pivoted. "Actually, Lord Fallen, there is good news. A Commander-class warrior wishes to return to the fold, and we have a newly ascended Commander as well."
"Oh? Two Commanders?" The Fallen finally showed a spark of interest. "Go on."
Starscream felt a flash of resentment. Two Decepticon Commanders—one he hated, and one who used to be his subordinate. Speaking for them felt like swallowing glass.
"The one seeking return is Blackarachnia. The new Commander is named Skygnaw... They aren't on Earth currently, but I can contact them."
"In that case," the Fallen said, his mind shifting. Perhaps he didn't need to be at full strength to have his revenge. "Starscream, arrange it. I care only for results. Do not disappoint me."
"Yes, Lord Fallen!" Starscream was ecstatic. He thought to himself: Blackarachnia, Skygnaw... just you wait. Once I am the official Leader, I'll show you both your place!
...
The journey back to Earth was uneventful. The universe was characterized by its silence and void, and they encountered no alien fleets.
Before descending toward Base One, Skygnaw contacted Onslaught to get an update on the situation on Earth.
[My Lord, while you were away, several new Decepticon units arrived on Earth.]
It seemed that after Skygnaw had started ignoring him, a desperate Soundwave had petitioned Shockwave for more help. This time, they hadn't used ships; the troops were sent via Space Bridge. However, two waves—four squads in total—had already been dismantled by NEST. Only one squad remained active and intact.
[Onslaught, which squad survived?] Skygnaw was curious. Who was skilled enough to play the long game of survival?
[My Lord, it is the Constructicon team.]
The Constructicons? Hadn't they all been killed? Had they been resurrected?
[Onslaught, I thought the Autobots killed the Constructicons.]
[My Lord, these are not the originals. They are clones created by Lord Shockwave. Their individual power is only at the level of a Basic-tier warrior.]
Basic-tier? So, cannon fodder. Skygnaw scoffed, conveniently forgetting he had started as a Basic-tier warrior himself.
[Can they still combine?]
[They can, My Lord.]
I see... Skygnaw realized the truth. In his past life, he had wondered how a combiner as massive as Devastator could be taken down by a single railgun shot from a human destroyer. It all made sense now—it was a "knock-off" Devastator!
After getting the layout of the Decepticon forces, Skygnaw checked in on his other interests. The alliance between the Autobots and the US was in its honeymoon phase. Meanwhile, under Clarice's protection, Alice had expanded the Aura Group significantly, funneling a steady stream of resources to his secondary base.
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