chappy
Title: For Honor, Duty, and the Glory of Cybertron
Chapter: 2: Raid
Rating: PG
Warning: Politics. yay!
Summary: Sometimes there is no right side.
stalkermadeline, singealiene, you're awesome betas. I love you both!
Previous part:
1: Peacetime Cage
“So the council just refused to do anything? Why?” Sam was sitting cross-legged in front of Barricade’s cell, listening with rapt attention.
“A few were corrupt, but mostly it was just misplaced moral obligation. They were more concerned with staying true to their vaunted creed than they were with fixing the problem. Sometimes the ends do justify the means.” Barricade had settled against the wall while he spoke. It wasn’t like the Autobots were going to let him out anytime soon after all the trouble they’d gone through to put him there, and he honestly had nothing better to do. Besides, screwing with the boy’s perceptions of good and evil was more interesting than staring at blank walls and cell bars.
Sam sat quietly for a moment. “Megatron and Optimus were close. If Megatron was going to Optimus for advice, why didn’t Optimus try to stop him?”
“You assume Megatron could be stopped. Megatron was always driven by his own sense of moral obligation, his duty to Cybertron. He was determined to save Cybertron, no matter the cost. Even if he had to defy Primus himself to do it.”
x-x-x
Cybertron, nine million years ago-
Iacon City
“Heh. This makes me glad I’m not one of those poor military bastards outside,” the guard commented wryly, looking up at the energon storage tanks. The three massive holding tanks were filled with a week’s ration of energon; enough to feed the entire city. The fuel depot was one of the few civilian-controlled areas on Cybertron with a full military guard unit patrolling the parameter, in addition to the civilian guards inside the complex.
“Hate to be them, that’s for sure.” The second guard agreed. “Short rations, staring at all that energon all day long-” he broke off. “What was that?”
“What was what?”
“I thought I heard something.”
“Maybe you should get your audios checked,” the first guard teased.
“Oh, stuff it up your exhaust.”
“It’s probably just that slagging tank again.” He grinned. “Not only do those idiots guzzle fuel, they’re as clumsy as the Pit, too.”
“Primus, I’d hate to see that guy on high-grade.”
“Is it even possible to get clumsier? The stupid slagger walked through the security fence last night.”
“What, seriously?”
“I swear! The proximity alarms are still fragged. I -” He stopped, hearing a loud whump from outside. “What the slag are they doing out there?! Stay here, I’m going to go chew their afts out…” He started for the door.
He’d gotten two steps when the wall exploded inward, raining building materials on the startled guards. A massive shape loomed in the dust cloud, marked by two red-glowing optics.
Blackout stepped over the rubble, ducking through the hole he’d made. The two guards scrambled away from the massive soldier, reaching for their side arms.
Blackout laughed derisively as the guards raised their stun guns. The standard-issue weapons were designed to immobilize someone roughly the size of an average Autobot, not someone as massive as Blackout. But regulations prohibited all concussion and projectile weaponry from being carried in the vicinity of the highly-volatile energon tanks. A single badly-aimed shot in such a concentration of energon could level half the city.
By the looks of horror on their faces, the guards were beginning to realize the flaw in the depot’s defenses.
Blackout casually swatted the smaller mechs through a wall. Alarms were blaring throughout the compound, and more guards were undoubtedly on their way. Blackout wasn’t worried; the only mechs in the ranks who could really be a threat to him were all part of the military detachment. And this close to the tanks, no one would be willing to risk a pitched battle.
Rubble crunched as Octane ducked through the hole behind him, heading for the tanks with the other fuelers in tow.
The only potentially tricky part would be moving the massive jets, clumsy and heavily loaded with fuel, to the base without being shot out of the sky. Luckily for them, the air forces had suffered just as much under the council’s rationing as the rest of the army.
x-x-x
“This is unacceptable! It’s outrageous!”
Megatron looked up casually as the councilor stormed in, followed by Optimus Prime himself. “Undoubtedly. What is ‘this,’ precisely?”
“Don’t play coy, Lord Megatron!”
“It’s a perfectly reasonable question.” Megatron answered calmly.
“You ordered your troops to attack a civilian target! A government complex!”
“If it’s a government complex it’s not, by definition, civilian. Whatever ‘it’ is,” Megatron pointed out, enjoying himself. “Who am I attacking?”
The councilor spluttered.
“Councilor, peace…” Optimus tried to calm him. “Don’t jump to conclusions.”
“Jump to conclusions?! The fuel depot housing the rations for Iacon City was raided last night, and witnesses saw his men attacking the guards!”
“So they’re mine now? What happened to ‘the council controls the army?’”
The councilor spun around to glare at Megatron again. “Is that what this is about? Is this some twisted power play?” he demanded. “Are you that hungry for power, Lord Megatron?”
“On the contrary. I had nothing to do with it,” Megatron told him with amusement. “But rest assured, I will look into the matter.”
“I expect a full investigation, and you will bring the perpetrators to justice.” Or else hung in the air, unspoken.
“Don’t worry. Everyone involved will get exactly what they deserve.”
“They had better, Lord Protector, or we will be forced to take action. It would be a shame if we had to impose fuel sanctions on the whole army, wouldn’t it?”
Megatron’s voice was flat. “I wouldn’t advise that.”
Optimus Prime lingered after the councilor turned on his heel and left, his expression grave. “You lied to him, brother.”
“He’s a politician. He lies to thousands every day. Forgive me if I don’t fall over in guilt,” Megatron said dryly.
“I just hope you know what you’re doing,” Optimus said quietly.
“There comes a time when negotiation fails, brother.”
“I can understand how your men feel, Megatron, but this isn’t the way. We must do what is best for all of Cybertron.”
Megatron met Optimus’ troubled optics with calm assurance. “I am.”
x-x-x
Accessing Cybertronian News Broadcasting System. Downloading…
“Rioting broke out in Iacon City today, the city hardest-hit by the fuel raids. The government has mobilized the entire police force in an attempt to quell the violence. Experts say that this is likely only the start of what promises to be a rising tide of violence that many believe is being instigated by the Lord Protector himself.
“An Autobot party spokesperson blamed the violence and increasing fuel shortage on corrupt military officials. He refused to comment on the possibility of any connection to the Lord Protector-”
x-xxx-x
A/N - Livejournal hates me today. Arg.
Chapter: 2: Raid
Rating: PG
Warning: Politics. yay!
Summary: Sometimes there is no right side.
stalkermadeline, singealiene, you're awesome betas. I love you both!
Previous part:
1: Peacetime Cage
“So the council just refused to do anything? Why?” Sam was sitting cross-legged in front of Barricade’s cell, listening with rapt attention.
“A few were corrupt, but mostly it was just misplaced moral obligation. They were more concerned with staying true to their vaunted creed than they were with fixing the problem. Sometimes the ends do justify the means.” Barricade had settled against the wall while he spoke. It wasn’t like the Autobots were going to let him out anytime soon after all the trouble they’d gone through to put him there, and he honestly had nothing better to do. Besides, screwing with the boy’s perceptions of good and evil was more interesting than staring at blank walls and cell bars.
Sam sat quietly for a moment. “Megatron and Optimus were close. If Megatron was going to Optimus for advice, why didn’t Optimus try to stop him?”
“You assume Megatron could be stopped. Megatron was always driven by his own sense of moral obligation, his duty to Cybertron. He was determined to save Cybertron, no matter the cost. Even if he had to defy Primus himself to do it.”
x-x-x
Cybertron, nine million years ago-
Iacon City
“Heh. This makes me glad I’m not one of those poor military bastards outside,” the guard commented wryly, looking up at the energon storage tanks. The three massive holding tanks were filled with a week’s ration of energon; enough to feed the entire city. The fuel depot was one of the few civilian-controlled areas on Cybertron with a full military guard unit patrolling the parameter, in addition to the civilian guards inside the complex.
“Hate to be them, that’s for sure.” The second guard agreed. “Short rations, staring at all that energon all day long-” he broke off. “What was that?”
“What was what?”
“I thought I heard something.”
“Maybe you should get your audios checked,” the first guard teased.
“Oh, stuff it up your exhaust.”
“It’s probably just that slagging tank again.” He grinned. “Not only do those idiots guzzle fuel, they’re as clumsy as the Pit, too.”
“Primus, I’d hate to see that guy on high-grade.”
“Is it even possible to get clumsier? The stupid slagger walked through the security fence last night.”
“What, seriously?”
“I swear! The proximity alarms are still fragged. I -” He stopped, hearing a loud whump from outside. “What the slag are they doing out there?! Stay here, I’m going to go chew their afts out…” He started for the door.
He’d gotten two steps when the wall exploded inward, raining building materials on the startled guards. A massive shape loomed in the dust cloud, marked by two red-glowing optics.
Blackout stepped over the rubble, ducking through the hole he’d made. The two guards scrambled away from the massive soldier, reaching for their side arms.
Blackout laughed derisively as the guards raised their stun guns. The standard-issue weapons were designed to immobilize someone roughly the size of an average Autobot, not someone as massive as Blackout. But regulations prohibited all concussion and projectile weaponry from being carried in the vicinity of the highly-volatile energon tanks. A single badly-aimed shot in such a concentration of energon could level half the city.
By the looks of horror on their faces, the guards were beginning to realize the flaw in the depot’s defenses.
Blackout casually swatted the smaller mechs through a wall. Alarms were blaring throughout the compound, and more guards were undoubtedly on their way. Blackout wasn’t worried; the only mechs in the ranks who could really be a threat to him were all part of the military detachment. And this close to the tanks, no one would be willing to risk a pitched battle.
Rubble crunched as Octane ducked through the hole behind him, heading for the tanks with the other fuelers in tow.
The only potentially tricky part would be moving the massive jets, clumsy and heavily loaded with fuel, to the base without being shot out of the sky. Luckily for them, the air forces had suffered just as much under the council’s rationing as the rest of the army.
x-x-x
“This is unacceptable! It’s outrageous!”
Megatron looked up casually as the councilor stormed in, followed by Optimus Prime himself. “Undoubtedly. What is ‘this,’ precisely?”
“Don’t play coy, Lord Megatron!”
“It’s a perfectly reasonable question.” Megatron answered calmly.
“You ordered your troops to attack a civilian target! A government complex!”
“If it’s a government complex it’s not, by definition, civilian. Whatever ‘it’ is,” Megatron pointed out, enjoying himself. “Who am I attacking?”
The councilor spluttered.
“Councilor, peace…” Optimus tried to calm him. “Don’t jump to conclusions.”
“Jump to conclusions?! The fuel depot housing the rations for Iacon City was raided last night, and witnesses saw his men attacking the guards!”
“So they’re mine now? What happened to ‘the council controls the army?’”
The councilor spun around to glare at Megatron again. “Is that what this is about? Is this some twisted power play?” he demanded. “Are you that hungry for power, Lord Megatron?”
“On the contrary. I had nothing to do with it,” Megatron told him with amusement. “But rest assured, I will look into the matter.”
“I expect a full investigation, and you will bring the perpetrators to justice.” Or else hung in the air, unspoken.
“Don’t worry. Everyone involved will get exactly what they deserve.”
“They had better, Lord Protector, or we will be forced to take action. It would be a shame if we had to impose fuel sanctions on the whole army, wouldn’t it?”
Megatron’s voice was flat. “I wouldn’t advise that.”
Optimus Prime lingered after the councilor turned on his heel and left, his expression grave. “You lied to him, brother.”
“He’s a politician. He lies to thousands every day. Forgive me if I don’t fall over in guilt,” Megatron said dryly.
“I just hope you know what you’re doing,” Optimus said quietly.
“There comes a time when negotiation fails, brother.”
“I can understand how your men feel, Megatron, but this isn’t the way. We must do what is best for all of Cybertron.”
Megatron met Optimus’ troubled optics with calm assurance. “I am.”
x-x-x
Accessing Cybertronian News Broadcasting System. Downloading…
“Rioting broke out in Iacon City today, the city hardest-hit by the fuel raids. The government has mobilized the entire police force in an attempt to quell the violence. Experts say that this is likely only the start of what promises to be a rising tide of violence that many believe is being instigated by the Lord Protector himself.
“An Autobot party spokesperson blamed the violence and increasing fuel shortage on corrupt military officials. He refused to comment on the possibility of any connection to the Lord Protector-”
x-xxx-x
A/N - Livejournal hates me today. Arg.