The Intergalactic Highway

Frilla gave Rattrap a glare slightly but waited quietly to see what the others would do before Rhinox decided to play the video payer, so she watched and listened closely. Alright so she expected that from even Glowstick but tilted her head slightly, remembering how she had helped the Predacons a few times even after she had been found and she was relieved to hear about the back up data. Though surprise showed on her face a bit the more Glowstick talked and when the video turned off she blinked a little trying to take some of what she heard in. The thanks still confused her a bit but she pushed it to the back of her mind.

"Well guess we should be lucky Glowstick is a bit more civil I guess, one of the few not a psychotic maniac or killer." She said finally and picked the device up tossing it up a few times before she caught it in her hand. She glanced at the new Maximal they would have eventually that lied on the table, innocent and unknowing of the dangers of the war. If only it was that easy to ignore it. "The data I collected before I can give to you guys when I finish looking at it again, just to make sure nothing was changed."

Finally she turned to Rattrap with defiant look, "And there is your proof garbage eater that I am a maximal and if it's any help to clear this up more the day I came I could have easily helped Scorponok and have finished Optimus a few weeks ago." She said before walking off without letting the rat reply.

--------------------------

"Hopefully that is the case."Feralnight sighed before leaving the two to talk, reverting to her beast mode and walking off towards the lift. The day had been too long it felt like and the fuzor hoped trouble wouldn't happen for a while to come.

Blazemane wrote:Steelclaw walked up to Venatrix as she walked to him.

Venatrix wrote:What are you doing here? You didn't spoil my little bit of fun by taking out the Maximals from a safe distense, like any Predacon would've done with your speciffic skills. And i'm wondering why that is. You must have a good reason. So tell me.

Steelclaw tilted his head to the side quizzically.

"Like any Predacon?" he asked somewhat harshly. "What precisely do you think of your own faction?" Making his gaze level once more, he continued more calmly. "If I thought all Predacons were prone to interrupting a fair fight, I wouldn't be standing in the Predacons' defense."

"Besides, you're hardly the picture of 'Predacon treachery' yourself, coming out here, demanding an honorable duel. Obviously there is some character to be found in both factions in this war."

Steelclaw paused for a while before starting again.

"And I think that's becoming a problem for your Maximal friend- maybe for you too. Y'know, he came this close to admitting it," Steelclaw said, looking at the ground, satisfied the Maximals were out of ear shot. Then he looked directly at Venatrix. "You and Dinobot are on opposite sides, but I don't think he's actually scared of you killing him. He doesn't want to train you because he doesn't want to make your death any more difficult."

Steelclaw thought for a moment about what he'd said himself, and then quickly clarified.

"Don't get me wrong. Dinobot only has, and only ever will have, a warrior's respect for you- for anyone for that matter. But even that's dangerous across two sides set against each other. Face it, Venatrix. It's just like he said. Either the Maximals or the Predacons are going to lose. Don't make that any harder on yourself."

Turning around, Steelclaw took a few steps before stopping.

"Of course," he said with a small laugh, "if you want to make things harder for the Maximals, that might be a good move. Why do you think I waved?"

He took a few more steps before stopping yet again and turning to look at Venatrix.

"Oh, I just remembered why I came looking for you. Feel like bestowing your bounteous martial arts wisdom on another Predacon?" he asked.

Venatrix shook her head before replying.
"First of al. Like you have your reasons to be a Predacon, i have my own.
And second. If i've chosen to gain more skills as a warrior from Dinobot, eventhough he has betrayed the Predacons, is my choise, and mine alone.
As for your request to reseave training in melee and hand to hand combat, i am willing and able.
However, i'll need your help in selecting a few specs for a new weapon.
You are more specialized in ranged weaponry then i am."

The black Predacon panther started moving towards their base after sending Steelclaw a 3d image of her idea for him to see.

----------------

Valkyrie smiled at Rattrap as he showed his affection for the new parts from Waspinator she brought back for him.

After a few moment of waiting to enter the CR-chamber, the last of the injured Maximals who needed treatment emerged from the device.
She resetted the chamber's systems and entered it.
After the door was closed, she slipped in stasis lock for a little moment, as the machine worked tiredlessly to repair the damage she had suffered after her fight with the Predacon wasp.

"Of course you have your reasons," Steelclaw answered. "That was my point. And it's not like I'm going to stop you if you persist in your fraternizing with Dinobot. But I do think it's a very, very bad idea."

Steelclaw looked at the image Venatrix sent him in heads up display.

"Huh... I honestly never knew you could shoot from that far. Yeah, I'll help you. We'll figure things out when we get back to base."

* * *

As Dinobot passed through the bridge, he did not bother to see whether the CR chamber was occupied or not. He would let his own systems handle his wounds. Right now, he need to be online. He needed to think.

After walking his way down to his chambers, he opened the sliding door and stepped inside. The window on the opposite wall only showed how dark it was outside, save for a few specks of starlight.

He transformed with a roar, and then placed his blade and shield on the wall where they could be easily reached. He knew he would need to use them again soon. Like every other war he had studied, the Beast Wars were relentless.

But no war had seemed so dependent on so few individuals. No war had seemed so personal.

It was one thing that he had betrayed the Predacons- that he had known everyone on the Darksyde and now had to confront them. It was another that some of the Maximals were forced into a betrayal they seemed hardly even aware of. Blackarachnia, and now, today, Inferno.

Dinobot despised her, and in time he was certain he would despise him. They were enemy combatants, and they were going to fight with their best, and likely most malicious, efforts.

But had he done better that day... had Inferno come back with them...

For the moment, Dinobot despised himself more.

That freak is our newest crew member, if I can get her datatracks sorted out. She's not exactly made from off the shelf parts.

"Eh," Rattrap mused with a shrug.

... This is a miniature video player. If it was a bomb, it'd least be a bit bigger. Might as well play it as we do the scan.

"Maybe. Who knows what that squid can invent. And the spiders. Too many lunatic scientists over there, if ya ask me." Letting Rhinox take the device, he stepped back so everyone else could see and watched it.

Optimus remained quiet as the machine scanned his body and the video player played its recorded message from Glowstick.

I'd say be seeing you.. but considering I've never even seen Optimus Primal even when I recruited back on Cybertron, I doubt I'll ever see you for awhile.. probably due to patching up the mess your new friends tend to leave for me.

"Boy, is that inaccurate," Rattrap said after the video stopped. "There wouldn't be any messes if the Predacons wouldn't try stealing everything they think belongs to them." He was obviously offended by Glowstick's last words.

Greetings.. Frilla.. and Maximals. It's been awhile my dear.. I trust if you are viewing this, the Maximal which took it is either a fool or as kind as you sometimes claim yourselves to be, doesn't matter either way.

So in a sense, there is some relief now.. But I have learned from you, and Steelclaw that at least not all the maximals are bad.. just the majority.

Optimus was thoughtful about what Glowstick said. He knew not all Predacons were like Megatron or Terrorsaur. As he had observed himself, there were a few decent ones among their team, like Glowstick and Steelclaw. Ones who had honor, intelligence and displayed mercy; at least when Megatron wasn't around. He pondered what it must be like for them to be among the others and controlled so ruthlessly by Megatron. Primal just didn't understand how they operated the way they do with Megatron ruling with an iron fist and punishing them with physical abuse. In any case, Glowstick's message to Frilla was a little sentimental. Interesting. Just the fact that Glowstick wanted to say something to her like this showed a different side to him that Optimus had not seen; not that he didn't believe he, and every other Predacon, didn't have it. He truly hoped they could be friends again some day, though it was probably unlikely until this war was ended.

... Huh.. I'm not detecting anything Optimus. Your vital signs a perfectly fine. Hrm.. That wound is the one that Alien gave you right?.. Might be a result of some.. alien technology.

Snapping out of his little daze, Optimus looked back at Rhinox with a small frown, then sighed. "Yes. His sword went straight through me." He could remember it like it had happened yesterday. Not very pleasant. And to think that there was something left inside of him from that slagging alien clone that was now screwing up his systems really bothered him. "I don't feel anything anymore. Just exhausted. Is there anything else we can do?"

"Well guess we should be lucky Glowstick is a bit more civil I guess, one of the few not a psychotic maniac or killer."

Primal agreed with Frilla, nodding to her.

"The data I collected before I can give to you guys when I finish looking at it again, just to make sure nothing was changed."

"Thank you, Frilla," Optimus said, grateful for her help.

"And there is your proof garbage eater that I am a maximal and if it's any help to clear this up more the day I came I could have easily helped Scorponok and have finished Optimus a few weeks ago."

"That's true," the Maximal commander said, looking at Rattrap. She could have very well slagged Optimus that day. Watching Frilla exit the lab, he looked back at the rat. "She was always a Maximal, Rattrap. Cut her some slack. I trust her, and you should too. She has done more than enough to prove herself to us."

With a lengthy sigh, Rattrap replied, hanging his head, "Yeah... I, uh, I guess you're right. I'll, uh... I'll try ta be more cooperative."

Well, that certainly surprised the leader.

-----

"I was waiting for Optimus to finish his repairs and give me a tour. I could use a small nap though... "

"Hm. I imagine his repairs will take some time," Tigatron said. He knew their commanding officer was almost always the focus point for the Predacons in battle, so he often took a lot of damage. "I am sure I can find an empty room for you so you may rest while he is repaired and you can have that tour later," the tiger smiled.

Airazor merely nodded to the Tiger, not really having much energy to speak. Much of her remaining strength went into trying to keep her head up and stay awake. Turning away, the new Maximal walked first towards the lift. Carefully stepping into the platform, she waiting for the Tiger before beginning the ascent.

((I'm now going to skim through the posts in the next episode. I probebly miss something that has been posted, but if i read everything thats been posted before i start on my first post in the next episode, then it'll take far to much time.))