[ti]Ep 2[/ti]The War Machine - [Starscream]

[Soundwave]

Episode 2 | Week 3 | Day 2



Ebb and flow, pulses and waves, a cycling current of routine and expectation. All machines tend to have a task, and they strive to fulfill it with the abilities granted to them by their creator. Each gear, each spring, each component put where it is to contribute and play a role, stray scrap kept aside and left out of the path of moving parts so that it does not impair, and does not hinder. But whether one speaks of a real object trying to perform its function, or the metaphorical machine of war, there are always issues that arise and occur through time and wear.

A bit of grit, a worn spring, a chipped tooth of a gear hindering rotation, all noticed, all accounted for, and all cleaned up. Routine maintenance, meticulous fiddling, changing out what part goes where to provide better functionality, all to be expected. But as well maintained as it could be, as clean and sterile it can try to remain, things always went array for one reason or another beyond the predictable faults. Things that were not foreseen can throw a wrench into the fray, and force things out of alignment into a new direction or path.

A truce had been declared, an action foreseen by those that paid close attention to how many were dropping out of rank and file into MECH's hands. Many did not care to see these finer details though, blindsided, alarmed, cries of distrust and snarled hisses in the shadows of the ship from those that thought ill towards the declaration, while others believed it to be a cleaver trap to lure the 'emotional' or 'foolish' Autobots to their deaths. A ruse, a ploy, only a small fraction that knew missing individuals well hoping that it was real and that results would be formed of it. The reactions varied greatly, but most just sat back to plan to watch, wait and see.

But not Starscream.

Changes in day to day actions are not unheard of, a flicker of someone not feeling well and a Vehicon subbed to a new station, leaving a gap elsewhere, or a new task coming up that requires some assistance to catch up. Small changes were a part of life, and required some adaptation and growth, but larger ones... larger alterations spoke of a new course being mapped out. A modest platoon of flyers had been dispatched from their current patrols, to seek out a completely detached location. No information had come in regarding the point, no Comm's about an Energon find, or a call for aid. No chatter of MECH or of other alterations, and no immediate link to it and previous endeavors. This paired up with the truce, a decision the Air Commander did not agree with, and... well...

He was up to something.

Locating the second in command was not difficult. He did not lurk about the ship when he felt he was in the right, and flounced his rank with bold action and overdramatic flair. This paired with a narrow frame with high mounted wings and a recognizable outline meant a cursory scan of the security feeds would pinpoint his position readily. Soundwave did not need to scan the feeds though; he didn’t need to sift through audio files to match up the voice fluctuations. He didn't need to do any of this because he always kept an eye on him anyway out of principle. Too many attempts, too many devious plans, he couldn't be trusted.



Soundwave came to a slow halt in the maw of one of the expansive hallways of the Nemesis. He was alone, surrounded by nothing but the sharp angled walls and dark metals, electronic lighting casting a diffused cool glow over the area. It was but one of many 'T' connectors in the maze of a warship, not notable or recognizable in any way from the others save for the fact that Starscream was making his way down from the left pathway. He was destined to cross in front of the silent mech, where he would be unable to ignore his presence or 'miss' him in the shadows.

Patience rewards those who wait.

[Starscream]

There was something so strangely peaceful about the corridors of the Nemesis sometimes. The ambient drone of the engines were little more than pleasant background noise; the quiet, murmured chatter of the patrolling Vehcions a reminder of the many who lived and worked on the ship.

It was in these corridors that Starscream found himself. He walked with no purpose or real aim, his posture relaxed and slightly hunched - wings eased against his back. He was almost too relaxed. The normally animated second command seemed calm and somewhat restrained compared to his usual self. In one servo was a datapad which seemed to have stolen most of the Commander's attention, which probably helped. A long, clawed talon of a thumb would occasionally scroll down, tapping here and there as he focused on whatever it was on the screen.

A pair of Vehicons had passed him, offering brisk but attentive salutes as they continued on with their patrols - but he had paid them no mind.

He seemed so utterly focused, distracted from his surroundings - and he had good reason.

A truce had been called for between the Decepticons and Autobots. From the first inkling of this idea, Starscream had disagreed with the notion of the two factions working together to combat a foe that he believed to be little more than annoying pests. He had seen what they'd done to Breakdown, of course, having been the one to go and rescue him, and he knew what they had done to others of his kind - but at the end of the day they were nothing more than pathetic fleshbags who needed a swift lesson in Decepticon Superiority before they got too big for their boots. Humans were a young and immature race, and surely did not warrant such drastic measures as to both sides working together, when all it'd take was one well aimed aerial tactical strike.

But Megatron had insisted the truce was to be, and Starscream had known better than to argue. He still couldn't fathom that it was Megatron that had extended the proverbial olive branch to the enemy first - and while he didn't speak his thoughts on that out loud, an inability to tone down his emotions when needed meant that his Warlord knew his stance on matters through his actions and field; and as such kept his second in command in line with little more than a glance or a subtle lip-curl - as if daring him to try something.

Yesterday there had been a meeting of the two leaders at the Neutral base to set things in motion, to agree to terms, and have the truce come into official play. Each leader had brought along their second in commands - Starscream included. It'd been his first visit to the mine that Megatron had gifted to those who resided there. He had remained on his best behavior while there, keeping up appearances - despite his opposition to the entire situation.

The truce had been set in stone, and both factions had been made aware.

Starscream had needed to clear his head after what'd happened, and there was no better place for that than the sky. Sadly, however, he knew he would be needed close by, and as such had turned his attentions to other things to keep himself busy - such as whatever it was he was looking at on the datapad in his servo. Plans had to be made. Initiative had to be taken, and it was up to him to do so because everyone else seemed so incapable.

Ever since he had joined Megatron's ranks back on Cybertron, Starscream had questioned and judged his way of doing things. Barbaric methods only got you so far, and while many seemed to follow Megatron without question – surely these latest actions would have many wondering if their Warlord was still fit to lead.

Megatron was soft. Weak. Calling for a truce when he could've used that opportunity to terminate Optimus Prime in a trap. Starscream would've. Not only had Megatron been the one to call for said alliance, but he had agreed to Optimus' terms in that non-lethal methods would be used against the humans. He'd figuratively rolled over and become submissive – and in turn made the rest of them look just as weak. He had wanted the truce. It should've been on his terms. Yet he had buckled.

Alone, these things were small and some could consider them insignificant. But, when looked at as a whole, along with the gifting of the safe haven to those who chose no side in this war...? There was a very real problem. Things were adding up – and had been for some time. The well-oiled war machine of the Decepticons was becoming amiable, and it seemed that nobody dared question just how soft they were becoming.

Starscream could put up with the barbaric and obsolete methods used by his Warlord. But oh how he loathed how subdued Megatron had become.

It would not be long before others joined him in his thoughts, this much he knew. Which was why he had to prepare – and had started to. Upon his return to the Nemesis from the Neutral Base, he had relocated some of their air troops. The sky was, and always would be his domain – and with his rank and position of Air Commander? He had free reign over the armada of the skies.

Or so he thought.

As he neared the end of the corridor, he would finally turn his attention away from the datapad in his servo – glancing up briefly as if deciding which way he would be going next. He'd glance down, then do a double take back up at what – or rather, who – he had seen. Soundwave.

Ah. This wasn't good.

Starscream would continue walking, although slowed his gait – tapping the side of the datapad angrily with the palm of one servo – while subtlety powering it off.

“Ah, you blasted thing!” He spoke aloud, feigning that the thing had stopped working - which meant he'd, unfortunately, have to go and get another – back from the way he came. With a swivel of his heel, he would quickly turn and head back up the way he was coming. His pace quickening once more.

His posture had given him away, sadly. While before he had been relaxed? Now he was upright and tense, chin held high as he moved with a sense of urgency. His wings no longer flush against his back, and had become rigid – with the occasional nervous twitch.

Surely Soundwave was stood there for another reason. Surely that reason was not him.

[Soundwave]

The wait was not a long one, and soon the Second in Command could be heard approaching. Each individual had their own gait, their own stride, something to recognize both in speed, the harshness of their footfalls, and the thrumming impact of just how much weight or mass was behind said step. Some were more difficult to discern from others, but when it came to the lean flyer, there really wasn't anyone else that could compare. Narrow limbs, a lighter frame, and small peds with sharp heels, all contributing factors to make sharp clicks that held a steady chipped rhythm.

Soundwave's helm rose up marginally, inclined gently in the direction that the other mech was coming from. Waiting, patient, not stepping forward or rushing what was coming, which could be any number of things depending on how much guilt was in play. For all of his intelligence and all of his skill, Starscream projected what he felt far too easily to be the scheming manipulator he seemed to think he was. A tattle, a snitch, he was his own worst enemy. It doesn't mean he hasn’t had the occasional bit of self control, but normally...

If he was innocent, Soundwave expected not to be given much of a reaction. A sneer, a sidestep, a nervous leering look of dissatisfaction, perhaps even going so far as to bitterly ask him what he would want, or prompt an encounter to try to stand his ground. A confrontation to defend himself from what he felt would be a violation of justice and what was fair in this ragged world.

If he was guilty, the range seemed to be far more dramatic. Far more... telling of reactions. From posture changes to screeching cries that he has no need for the third in commands presence, or scrambling and trying to focus on some other subject to divert... or in this particular case, he could turn heel and start to scuttle back down the path he had come, after a not too skillful display of his acting prowess.

Soundwave watched as Starscream made a hasty retreat with his conveniently malfunctioning datapad, urgency laced in his posture and form. Helm locked forward into a ridged position, wings hiked aloft in their joints with high tension that caused them to twitch as if longing to take flight, sharp strides with a bit more impact in the heels. Anxious energy bled from his seams in droves, cementing the fact that this was indeed something they would wish to 'talk' about.

A slight dip of the helm was the only indicator of Soundwave's thoughts before he flowed seamlessly into a fluid walk back the way he had initially came. If Starscream were to peer back? He would see the spymaster's navy form disappearing down the path, evidently giving up on the pursuit.

False.

Soundwave knew better than to try to chase the silver mech. A direct path in order to catch up with him, would lead to an hour long merry-go-round ride around the Nemesis unless he wanted to actively run to try to close the distance the other had gained. Instead he needed to predict and cut off; a game that should show results much quicker, though sadly still took time.

Watching through the security feeds, Starscream could be seen retreating through the same path as he had initially gone in reverse, making tracking rather... easy... It took all the challenge out of the task, and meant that he need only take the direct course back to the storage room through the main corridor. It was a far busier rout, one often filled with numerous Vehicons and drones moving about their day to day business, but when it came to Soundwave... well... individuals got out of the way.

They parted for him as he walked, not needing to bob and weave, nor angle around Vehicons carrying cargo or others doing maintenance on one of the lighting systems that had gone out. They moved like a school of fish avoiding a shark, giving a wide buffer of space in between. With this path taken, it would land him arriving to the room only a few moments after Starscream, where the silver mech had made a critical mistake...

[Starscream]

...The mistake being, he had entered a room where there was only one entrance. Which sadly meant only one exit.

He'd effectively trapped himself, and now probably had to face Soundwave if he wanted to leave this room. He'd made a hurried beeline for one of the many storage rooms where spare datapads were kept, deciding that if he went straight there, it made his malfunctioning datapad excuse all the more believable should Soundwave decide to follow and question him about it. His processor racing with thought as he began pacing from one side of the room to the other.

What did Soundwave want? Had he even followed..? Starscream hadn't dared look over his shoulder until he was at the doorway to the supply room - and when he had? The spymaster was nowhere in sight. Although that mattered very little at all – Starscream knew that he was always watching and listening from somewhere on this damn ship – effectively having eyes and ears everywhere. He shuddered at the thought.

Maybe... Maybe he was overthinking! Yes! Soundwave had obviously been walking and had stopped to decide on which direction to take next! It was all but a convenient coincidence that Soundwave had been in the direction that Starscream had been heading! It wasn't like Starscream had actually done anything that warranted the Spymaster seeking him out.

Had he?

More pacing as he tapped the datapad back on. No! He hadn't! And the longer he stayed hidden in this room, the guiltier he no doubt looked for something he hadn't done!

He moved with purpose now, back toward the door. His stride confident. He had nothing to be scared of, for he had done nothing wrong! It wasn't as if Soundwave had actually followed him, either. He was being foolish, when he had nothing to be afraid of.

He'd step toward the door, triggering the sensor which opened it. It slid open with a soft hiss, and...

Soundwave was right there waiting for him.

Starscream shrieked out in a panic, gasping and sidestepping back and to the side out of view - so the door would slide closed once more. Okay, so Soundwave had followed him.

He took a moment to compose himself. He hadn't done anything wrong. He knew this. He was just startled by the sight of the looming navy and purple mech, that's all! Soundwave was probably wanting to check in about something unimportant – although due to him having zero manners had decided to stalk the corridors rather than wait for Starscream to be in one stationary place.

Although he technically had, given Starscream was- Argh, never mind! He'd been spotted, and the longer he lingered in here the worse he was making it for himself!

He'd side step once more so the door would re-open, arms folded behind his back. His posture full of confidence. He was stood up straight, his wings tall and proud with his chin held high.

“Ah, Soundwave! Apologies - You startled me,” He smiled, chuckling somewhat nervously as he unlooped his arms from behind himself and making a point of showing the datapad – which was now powered on and working just fine - although the screen revealed nothing of what he had been looking at prior. “I have retrieved what I came here for. Did you need my attention for something? If not, then I shall be on my way, if you'd kindly step aside. I am very busy you know, what with the truce being declared and all.”

[Soundwave]

It was the simple things in life one had to appreciate.

The tall mech watched intently as Starscream came to the sudden traumatizing realization he had been followed, having been too detached from his surroundings to piece together what was coming. He did not lurch in place, nor take a single step back in alarm, no... that would be too simple for the animated mech. Instead he had acted in a drastic retreat with an energetic heft that was par the normal course. There was a shriek of alarm to go hand in hand with this, squawking, shrill, breaking many octaves higher than his voice typically rested. The soft echoing of the shrill sound was cut off abruptly however, when Starscream ducked aside to retreat, causing the doors to slide closed and seal once again with a soft hiss.

Starscream should really know better than to assume he could simply avoid him with such simplistic aversions. In the past they had never really worked how he would hope. True, he may gain a few minutes or at most an hour of extra time to think things through if he played particularly avoidant, the current record was five hours sixteen minutes, made when he had scampered out in a 'rush' to field patrols, but the spymaster would always catch up in due time, and would address what he needed eventually.

Anxiety: Aversion: Trepidation:

Soundwave did not need to see the seeker through gaze nor camera to pick up on these factors. High strung energy flicked and clicked between relays like the snap of a rubber band, held locked to the left of the doorframe where they had come to rest to recollect and recover. Stillness, revival, motion only put into action once he had taken a few seconds to calm the prickling energy from the surprise moments prior. Starscream then swooped out in front of the door again, causing the sensor to trip and the panels to slide aside to permit visual contact between them once more.

Calm energy, motionless, the dark navy mech just stared back after the Second in Command was finished speaking, not immediately moving nor indicating what he had cornered the other about. It seemed judgmental in a way though, staring down, evaluating, picking apart every tiny expression and movement that was made in the fleeting seconds that passed. Just before the line could be met in which the seeker may be prompted to squawk or try to push him aside, he moved.

With a slick action Soundwave's right arm lifted, the thin joint of his wrist pivoting around so that he held his hand out palm up in a manner that suggested a request for something. To pair with this, and add clarity, the screen that acted as his faceplate lit up with a very simple graphic on it.

It showed a narrow white outline of a rectangle that was aligned vertically like a portrait, its corners softly rounded right at their tips to take away the sharpness of the form. There were a few details within this framework, including some dots and dashes at the bottom that nearly touched the lower edge, while a hairline outline was boxed just within the perimeter, creating a second layer to the rectangle. The middle of the shape was void and empty for only a moment for Starscream to be able to see, before a jagged line snapped across the rectangle, the shape jerky and traditionally used to indicate a break or snap in something.

Paired with this was a soft click sound, a recorded noise of a thin piece of plastic snapping played at a lower volume. It further emphasized the display he was making, and put punctuation to his intent, hand still held palm up in quiet expectation for Starscream's alleged broken technology.

[Starscream]

Starscream couldn't help but feel anxious when he was around Soundwave. He saw, and heard all! Anyone with half a functioning processor should be scared of that alone! One wrong move, or one wrong thing said – even out of frustration or in jest? Soundwave would know about it. Even when Starscream wasn't on the ship – part of him was always suspicious that Soundwave somehow knew everything that was being done or said. He routinely and obsessively checked his quarters for bugs, and while he never actually found any? He knew they would be there. Somewhere.

The fact Soundwave never spoke did not help matters any. And so, after Starscream had done speaking? He was not the least bit surprised that there was the usual condescending silence from the other mech. It was a horrible, tense few seconds that seemed to drag on for far too long. Even though Starscream ranked above the spymaster, it was not exactly hidden that Soundwave could do no wrong and had more favor around here with Megatron than his own second in command!

He shrank back a little as Soundwave continued to stare him down. Oh, how he wished he could see past that visor. To work out, or even get the faintest hint of expression behind that thing would help immensely. He did his best to maintain eye contact – as best he could, anyway. But he was nervous, and in stark contrast to the much calmer navy and purple mech? Was terrible at hiding his emotions.

If another second had passed of this awkward, almost painful, silence, he would've squawked out in protest. Demanded to know what Soundwave even wanted, and that he really had to be going because he really did have things to attend to! But Soundwave beat him to it – with movement.

The movement itself was nothing major or dramatic. His right arm lifted slightly, with his palm outstretched. It made Starscream jump, however, his wings flitting some as his optics widened and looked to Soundwave's servo as if trying to work out what he wanted.

Soundwave also had that covered, and Starscream's gaze shifted the moment that spymasters visor lit up with a simple graphic. Why he went to all this trouble with displaying fancy diagrams and images on his visor was beyond Starscream – speaking out loud and saying what you needed, saved a lot of time and hassle. He didn't want to stand around playing guessing games as to what he was trying to convey!

He knew right away what the image was, however. The datapad. Still, he would watch as the little graphic was broken, paired with a snapping noise. Ah. He wanted the datapad because he thought it was still broken.

“Nono, you don't have to see it! It's fixed now, look!” He'd half-stammer, half-squawk. Not doing himself any favors in trying to uphold his innocence as he held up the datapad to show that, yes, see, it was working fine now. There was absolutely no need to hand it over. At all.

To further reinforce the fact it was working without issue, he'd slide a long, taloned digit down the front of the screen – scrolling down pages and pages of what looked to be various schedules. With his usual, over-dramatic flair, he would briskly sideswipe onto another page, then another. As if silently declaring that Soundwave had no reason at all to see the datapad because it was working exactly as it should.

He did know, however, that being effectively cornered was not in his best interests even at the best of times. With his back against a room with only one way out? He had to find a way to get past the ever-looming mech – if only for his own peace of mind more than anything else.

He'd gently toss the datapad to his other servo, repeating the action of scrolling. As he did this, he would make an attempt to sidle along the wall – without making a point of touching it or being overly awkward or obvious about it. Trying to move as naturally as he possibly could.

He made it about one half-step, before deciding that a distraction was needed to be able to move as much as he wanted. Again, he would toss the datapad to his other servo – only he fumbled in catching it, letting it fall to the ground with a rather satisfying clunk.

“Whoops! Butterfingers!” He chuckled awkwardly. “That's what I get for showing off...”

That didn't work. Soundwave hadn't moved even an inch, or seemingly reacted at all. His ever-present stare was still firmly on Starscream. Which resulted in another quiet, overly nervous chuckle.

“I'll just... Go ahead and pick that up, for you.”

He'd take a half step forwards and crouch down at the same time, although he wasn't about to be beaten yet – and would 'accidentally' kick the datapad gently away from him a few inches – meaning he had to move from his current position to go get it.

Still crouched down low, he'd ungracefully fumble around Soundwave's pedes and moved so his back was no longer against the storage room. Once he had the freedom of the corridor behind him, he would reach out to grab the datapad and briskly move to a stand – offering out the datapad for the other mech to inspect, if only to gently appease him somehow for the fact Starscream had moved.

“I assure you, it is working fine.” He offered a smile at that.

[Soundwave]

There was a lot that Soundwave heard.

He knew which Vehicons were more unruly, he knew which were good followers. He picked up on those that were serious, and recognized those that joked and had humor to them. He knew which ones were awakened, and he recognized those that were starting to come to realize there was more beyond their core programming to think about and consider. There was little he did not lay witness to on this ship, but at the same time he knew how to recognize a serious situation from that of individuals just being... well... themselves...

Grumbled threats of 'well if I was leading', hissed protests of 'I am going to kill them', complaints and side handed remarks... everyone had them. It was not a trait held by the rebellious alone. If he were to clip and lay down the law for every tiny affront, there would be no 'humanity' ((for lack of a better term)) left within the ship, and everyone would be a cold husk of robotic reactions to fulfill their purpose. So Soundwave just observed, and let much slide between his fingers without a care. He was far more lenient than his reputation permitted, but then again... it only takes one person to truly step out of line to become an example to reinforce the foundation.

A request. A simple action.

He knew that Starscream would understand his request readily, the question was if he would admit to knowing and try to find a workaround, or if he would play dumb and try to force the spymaster into being even blunter and to the point. Luckily, the silver mech had taken the request for what it was, and instantly started to defend the datapad and show off its contents to try to prove his innocence.

An act which only further proved how guilty he was.

If the datapad he had been holding in the hallway a few minutes prior had legitimately became defective, shorting out or running out of power, than this situation would be different. Starscream would have spoken about how the broken one was in the room still in the mending bin, and how this was a new one he had just picked up and would not be the one Soundwave was looking for. There was no power pack attached to its side, and he could not have repaired it in such a short bit of time on his own. This meant the Datapad was not broken to begin with, and cemented what Soundwave already knew was fact.

The saddest bit of it all however, was the fact that if Starscream had stuck to his ruse, and pretended the broken one was in the room still, he could have eluded to this, and tried to coax Soundwave into the storage room on his own to seek out the device to clear the doorway, instead of doing... whatever it was he was doing to try to weasel around him to get out into the hall...

Soundwave's lifted hand gradually dropped back down to his side when it became apparent he wasn't going to get the datapad anytime soon, watching intently when Starscream lifted the screen to face him, and had the boldness to flick through the pages. Page by page, information after information, Soundwave's helm actually inclined a bit, at the action, the black visor hyper focusing down upon the Datapad as it flipped from page to page.

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

Personnel Time-Off Request

Designation: FNK-967 - DENIED
Department: Mining
Absence Type: Injury
Minor collapse of tunnel J7 twisted right leg. Requesting time for recovery.
Supervisor Notes: Walk it off! -Starscream

Designation: GRY-204 - APPROVED
Department: Mining
Absence Type: Injury
Minor collapse of tunnel J7 cracked chest housing. Requesting time for recovery.
Supervisor Notes: Agreed to extra shifts to make up for time off -Starscream

Designation: RGE-529 - DENIED
Department: Security
Absence Type: Time Off
Request to visit Mining station F67.
Supervisor Notes: We aren't a vacation facility! -Starscream

Designation: Starscream - DENIED APPROVED
Department: Lieutenant
Absence Type: Time Off
Obviously I deserve a day for myself!
Supervisor Notes: Denied -Soundwave
Approved! -Starscream

Designation: LRZ-720 - APPROVED
Department: Communications
Absence Type: Illness
Request for two days of rest.
Supervisor Notes: Why isn't Knock Out doing his damn job? Follow up later -Starscream

...
...
...

Pages upon pages of time off requests were made, many of which not serviced yet, some holding markers already from the Medical Bay to back up some of the injury or illness claims. The following pages were trooper shift changes, telling who was replacing whom at the end of the day, and who would then replace them upwards of a week in advance. Everything seemed tidy, organized, and neat. Designation stamps and manager glyphs already tagged to many to approve and deny at lower levels. Supply requests considered fully with notes and cross checking. Nothing appeared out of line, which would normally be good, if there wasn't that missing squad of flyers that had been sent out, and conveniently not listed under the scouting region of the datapad.

A clatter, a rough clunk, the piece of technology fell down to the ground after the fumbled toss to the second in command's hand. Soundwave knew Starscream was trying to draw his attention to it, and while he had been hyper focused for those few moments to pick up on the fast flicking data from many pages shown in rapid succession, he no longer peered at the device, helm rotating back, Starscream's own reflection visible in the inky surface.

A translucent action. A fumbled attempt.

Soundwave had to admit, Starscream could act clumsy when he desired, the kicked movement, the fumbled attempts, they were smooth and practiced, either intentionally or not. But just because he did his ploy well, did not mean Soundwave didn’t see the point, watching calmly as the sly mech was now out into the open with freedom on either side.

A single step, a calm pivot, Soundwave turned about to remain angled at the silver mech, his back now facing the storage room where the door slid closed with a dull thud and a hiss, sealing away the expansive area. He did not lift his hand to take the offered device, but instead replayed the image on his visor of the white datapad outline with the break line zigzagged across its surface.

He could cut to the original goal, but he had another point to make.

Namely the fact he wasn't a fool.

[Starscream]

Starscream had absolutely nothing to hide.

Yet he couldn't seem to help digging himself deeper and deeper down into this hole – making himself look guiltier than he actually was. Which was to say, not at all, for he had done nothing wrong on this day. It just went to show how little he was valued and respected here if everyone – or at least, Soundwave – was seemingly questioning and now following his every move! He couldn't help but be nervous!

He'd done what he assumed was the best course of action. Sure, he could've told Soundwave that the broken piece of equipment was in the storage room in the repair bin, but then the spymaster would've gone in there to look. While Starscream could've taken that moment to flee and get far away from the other mech – the problem would've still been there. Soundwave would've no doubt known, somehow, which datapad was the one that Starscream had accessed – and when he found it was not there? He would've hunted Starscream down once more. He could only elude the navy and purple mech for so long. That five hours and sixteen minutes had been a lucky fluke, and he couldn't do that again if he tried – especially if he'd been caught out in such a blatant lie.

At least now he had his back to the corridor – and while he wasn't about to turn tail and run - even though part of him wanted to? There was some relief in knowing that he wasn't backed up against a room with no escape. It also somewhat lessened the almost overwhelming feeling one got when being loomed over by Soundwave. He frowned as the datapad was not taken from him, despite him offering it out. This was what Soundwave wanted, was it not? Why wasn't he...

Then the same graphic from before played across the spymaster's visor. The broken one. He wanted the broken one.

“Ah,” Starscream cleared his throat gently, gesturing to the datapad with his free servo – while still holding it out in offering. “As I went to throw it into the repair bin, it switched back on! The worthless thing must be on the fritz! You never know what the last person was doing with these things when you get them... The Eradicons need to treat our equipment with more care and respect,” The fact he'd dropped it had been lost on him, then again it didn't seem to be damaged from that. “So rather than waste valuable time loading everything over to a new one, I opted to keep the one I had, given it was still working.” His wings would flutter as he spoke, almost as if he was telling the truth and was hopeful that Soundwave would believe him. “Should the time come that it breaks, I will get another!”

He'd lower his arm back down to his side, holding the datapad loosely with his servo.

“Did you still wish to see it, or shall I be on my way? We are both very busy after all, and I'd hate to take up more of your time.” Maybe this was why Soundwave had followed him to begin with, simply to check on the broken equipment incase it were part of a bigger issue. He doubted it, but perhaps if he did not draw attention to anything else? Soundwave would leave him be.

[Soundwave]

This was a waste of time.

Starscream more likely than not knew Soundwave was privy to the truth, and trying to corner him and catch him up on his tangled lies was going to be more work than it was really worth it in the grand scheme of things. It would solve nothing but keep putting the seeker on the spot, and further train his already honed lying capabilities that were so sharp they could slice through nearly anything. He had survived as long as he had as a scheming Second in Command for a reason, and his adaptability was deficiently a boon.

Soundwave could take the datapad that was now claimed to be the 'broken' one, he could further show how little he trusted the other mech, but that didn't really solve anything or prove any points either. He had already seen what he needed from the device anyway, and knew it would hold nothing truly compromising or Starscream would have NEVER held it out to him to begin with.

It was time they cut to the point.

One fluid step carried the slim Cybertronian forward, his frame cutting closer to Starscream with a controlled stride. The action brought him near the border of what would be considered a 'personal bubble', not breaching into it entirely to be a truly imposing figure, but close enough to make what he was going to show on his face plate clear as day. This was all a matter of perspective though, for what was 'too close' to one individual and an annoyance, may be a horrific breach of personal space to another. Despite this, the screen flickered active once more.

This time it was not just a simple graphic made of white outlines, the imagery far more complex. The centermost point of the screen and the majority of the image was consumed by a topographical map of a location on Earth. This was typically how his visor would look before a Spacebridge would open, readouts of the location and trajectories flowing over the screen readily to plot the course, but this time it was different and did not hold the Nemesis' current location nor the glyphs for the bridge.

No Spacebridge formed, no portal emerged, and instead more information popped up onto the screen, showing a location marker as well as the serial numbers of the Eradicons that were on rout to... well... wherever they were on their way to. They were represented on the map via five crimson markers that clashed boldly against the duller grid and black backdrop. They remained in the center of the screen, while the map moved gradually underneath, revealing rolling hills followed by sharp jagged rockwork of a mountainous terrain. Weaving slowly, making good progress, they were on the hunt for something and had a specific goal.

A question, a courteous nudge, the display of information and small inquiry glyph were professional, not at all aggressive in their angle and display. It could almost be considered polite all things considered, merely asking what was happening here as if he had forgotten a memo on what the troopers jobs were that day. The possible undertone of judgment was masked well, hiding the fact that there may be a subtle layer of an accusatory blade lurking between the lines.

Whatever thoughts the navy mech had on the matter were tucked neatly to the side and not projected, intending to let Starscream's reaction speak more then whatever words were going to flow out next. Soundwave could write a thousand and one different ways the next few moments could go, none of which particularly surprising, but he would let Starscream dig his own hole to jump down into.

[Starscream]

This was a waste of time indeed.

If only for Starscream. He had things to do. Places to be. A truce to help oversee. He couldn't afford the luxury of silently stalking people around the corridors and wasting time like Soundwave did! He was more than a little frustrated that the spymaster had yet to take the datapad despite it being offered out to him more than once. It was what he wanted, was it not? Then again, Starscream couldn't really tell – given that Soundwave wasn't exactly being vocal about whatever it was he had an issue with.

He'd expected Soundwave to reach out to take the datapad, or to give up entirely at seeing how innocent Starscream was – and turn around and come back the way he came. So when the spymaster stepped forwards and into the smaller Seeker's personal space? Starscream flinched back just a little. His wings hiked up some in alarm, frame going tense. The tiniest of squeaks left him, and he'd stare up at the much taller spymaster as he did that loomy thing that he was so creepily fantastic at.

His gaze darted immediately to the other mechs visor as it once again flickered with another graphic. Optics wide, with brows arched up as he tried to understand just what was being shown to him here. At first, he couldn't work it out – it was evident that it was a map, somewhere on Earth, but he couldn't work out where. He knew if Soundwave wanted to dispose of him by bridging him to some unknown place – that this would an opportune moment. For a second there, he was sure that this was going to happen.

Then more information flooded onto the screen. A location marker paired with several serial numbers of Eradicons. His gaze followed the five crimson markers as they moved their way across the terrain slowly.

Now those he recognized. They were the serial numbers of some of his most trusted, more... loyal Eradicons. They were hardly a threat, even if they had made their loyalty to the Second in Command known; as there were so few of them that it wouldn't have looked like much to those watching.

Which brought up the question as to why did Soundwave care about the movements of a few Eradicons?

Then again, the timing of said movements of said Eradicons, paired with the truce yesterday of which Starscream was not a fan... Ah. This didn't look good in Starscream's favor. Then again how dare Soundwave jump to conclusions! Which was what he assumed was happening here! If anyone else had ordered the movement of troops, they probably wouldn't have been given a second glance! But Starscream? Noo. It didn't help that there was absolutely no mention of this squad being moved, though. No logs, no official entries into any database as to where they were going and what they were doing.

So how did Soundwave even know about this!?

A nervous half-chuckle escaped him and he'd gently clear his throat. He was nervous. His field gave that away even if his posture did not. His wings no longer hiked up, instead fluttering gently as he stood up a little straighter, although he was no longer tense and alert.

“Ah. Those.” He started, looping his arms – datapad still in servo – behind his back and taking a step backward to give himself some space and to get out of Soundwave's ever-looming shadow. He was trying to portray an air of confidence, and would quickly move one arm from behind his back. Long, clawed talons splayed against his chassis as he spoke.

“A patrol! Nothing more! With the truce now in play and both sides playing nice -” His lip curled into a faint sneer after that last word, but he was quick to hide it as he continued with his excuse. “We will be needing to assert our presence! While we may be on cordial terms with the Autobots, I do not want them to think for even a moment that we are becoming complacent. It is a safeguard of sorts. Two birds with one stone!” He chuckled. “They are reminded we have the numbers to ruin them should they dare break the truce, and we use those numbers – or at least, small groups of air patrols – to watch for MECH activity, or locations we can use to our advantage in disposing of them!”

It was a half-truth. Or, well, a quarter truth. More activity from the Decepticons would hopefully keep the Autobots on their toes – even despite the truce, and while the last part about finding locations was entirely false, he hoped that he was a good sell on his reasoning for sending them out there. They were looking for something – but Starscream's tone and posture would give no indication that there was more to this little story – or so he hoped. The nervousness was still in his field, but anyone with half a functioning processor would've been nervous when around Soundwave – guilty or not.

“I was about to enter it into the log when, well...” He'd pull the datapad out from behind his back and gesture to it. “You saw what happened!”

Now that part was a lie.

“Is that all?”

[Soundwave]

A flurry of images began to roll out across Soundwave's visor, the pertinent and important areas all outlined to be sure Starscream looked where he wanted him to, to grasp the point that he needed to make.

The first image was a quick location marker that replaced the topographical map and previous data. These coordinates consumed the central portion of the screen, though some lines and information edged the perimeter. The details on the outer edges became parent a moment later, when the screen zoomed out enough to see that it was the location marker for the Neutral Base of Haven, and a screenshot of the information page they had on it for their records. After it was apparent what the topic was he 'spoke' of, he then flicked into the shared files on Haven that both Autobot and Decepticons had access to, stalling on the header glyphs so Starscream knew it was said shared system and not the primary one.

Material requests, joint information on MECH, videos and missing persons records, it was all general stuff that was scrolled through in instants, until getting to the pages that outlined patrols so that the two factions didn't overlap them unnecessarily. It wasn't grandly populated at this time, but there were still a substantial amount of entries, and out of all of them there was a... noted discrepancy between Autobot and Decepticon patrols, a fact displayed by an instantaneous pie chart Soundwave made just then that had the purple portion of the diagram consuming over two thirds of the circle. The Bots frankly didn't have the numbers to keep up, and the Vehicon and Eradicon coordinated scouting adventures were steadily consuming their efforts as a mass majority.

THIS was their show of power.

Not some small team doing its own thing off the books.

There would be no way for the Autobots to know about this rogue patrol, unless it happened to fly directly over their base that was being so elusive. It would require a streak of luck none of them have obtained since their arrival to Earth. Soundwave himself couldn't even pinpoint exactly where the Autobots lived, and he combed and picked through countless hours of surveillance, knowing enough to have a good guess in what general... area... they were...

Either way...

Whatever Starscream had done, was conveniently empty from the chart, a fact pointed out in his excuses as 'not getting around to it', but Soundwave wasn't really buying it. This endeavor was so far away from the controlled patterns they were using to cover ground effectively and in turn looked like a wild swing for some other goal.

Images changed, the display clicked to a new graphic. This time it was back to the records of patrols, the images pulled not from the brief view he had of the datapad, but from the primary system itself so that it was cleanly legible. The patrol data scrolled down and flicked from page to page rapidly, not enough time to really read individual entries, but it was ok, Soundwave highlighted the important entry in red that was nestled BETWEEN other entries, showing work had been done after the transition.

This one showed the team of seven that were meant to be on patrol, including the rogue five. The troop was meant to be somewhere else at this time, and had been on an active task with a couple others. Truth be told, the first red flag should have been the size of the team to begin with. It did not take seven individuals to scout over the stretch of land that had been assigned to them, and evidently, it must have been plotted from the onset, for two were left behind to finish the rout mapped out to them to cover their trails, the others making their own adventure.

Soundwave waited on Starscream then, to see what he would try to piece together as a new excuse.

[Starscream]

No, it obviously was not all.

Then again he hadn't expected it to have been so easy to walk away from this 'conversation'. Soundwave clearly had it out for him if he was being so nitpicky over something so insignificant. Starscream didn't have to answer to him! The only one he answered to was Megatron himself! Still, he would humor the spymaster by continuing to linger in the corridor – a feat made regretfully easier by the fact that Soundwave fully intended to have him stay, as evidenced by the flurry of images that began to appear on his visor to hold the Second in Command's attention.

He'd shift his stance some, resting his servos on his hips – with one hip cocked just slightly. A long talon would idly tap against the datapad that rested on his hip as he watched the other mech. While it wasn't an overly sassy pose, he was giving off an air of indifference and slight annoyance now. He'd explained his reasoning for the patrol, and Soundwave was now wasting both their time in showing things he already knew about – which was to say, the shared information on MECH. His optics couldn't read fast enough as Soundwave scrolled through the various files, but he knew the general gist of what all was contained in the shared documents.

Pointless.

Sure, it may have been a long shot sending out the five Eradicons. Finding the Autobot base was like finding a needle in a haystack at this point – but Starscream had been feeling oh so very lucky as of late. Well, at least up until Soundwave had sought him out to waste his time with this nonsense, anyway. Not that he was even looking for the Autobots! As far as Soundwave knew, they were scouting new locations in search of MECH. While they had their shared information on the human pests, there were surely other MECH outposts that neither side knew of. There was nothing wrong with veering off a routine patrol course just to look. He'd remain quiet, feeling he didn't have to explain himself further. The Autobots would've been able to pick up on the five fliers should they do a scan of the area, and maybe they would have the unfortunate luck of leaving themselves open just long enough to be traced in return.

What a glorious day that would be! Starscream would've been able to do what Soundwave could not! Not only had he extinguished the one known as Cliffjumper, but he would be the one to reveal the location of the very Autobots themselves! Then he would be the one to kill the Prime – something Megatron himself had had the chance to do many times and ultimately danced around and failed horribly at. But Starscream? He would end this truce – and this war, once and for all, then lead the Decepticons to the glory and power they – and he - so rightfully deserved.

He was getting ahead of himself, and may have been lost in these happy thoughts of grandeur and prosperity. Sadly, he was quickly drawn back into the now by the new graphic that was on display. Once again, it was too fast for Starscream to even make sense of what was being shown – he recognized what it was, of course - it was the patrol schedules and all the data on them, but what point was Soundwave trying to make now..?

Then he saw the delightfully helpful red highlight.

With a subtle roll of his optics, he'd rock on his pedes some. Shifting his servos so they were looped behind his back once more.

“Mm? Oh, that.” His tone slightly haughty as he spoke. Honestly, he'd expected Soundwave to put two and two together sooner or later, he just assumed it would be later rather than... The day after it'd happened. Then again, Soundwave probably had very little to do, hence why he was snooping on things that didn't actually concern him (in Starscream's opinion).

He vented out a sigh.

“Well, my first reason for the change of route still stands. Flying a new route to look for possible MECH activity with the possibility of the Autobots being made aware that we're more active. But those five, in particular, have excelled as of late, and I have been working and training with them closely – and wanted to observe how they did on a new route unsupervised. That's all.” He sneered some, as if he didn't have to explain this at all, and that Soundwave should just mind his own business. “After all, I am the Air Commander as well as Second in Command,” He stated matter-of-factly, just in case Soundwave had forgotten. “I give opportunities to those who do well. You are more than welcome to read over the report they bring back on any MECH sightings or strange activity, since you seem to be so concerned by the fact I simply forgot to change the entry on the patrol log.”

Would that get the spymaster off his back? His tone hadn't faltered, and any sign of nervousness from the beginning of this meeting had long since gone. He held true to his original excuse, and hoped that this extra reasoning would be enough. They were going to be bringing back a report, so that would make his story and excuse more genuine, too.

“You should be proud! It is not often that the troops seem to rise above and beyond what is asked of them. I hope the two who were left on the old route learn something from them.”

He'd stare up at Soundwave at that, as if silently saying that he'd said his part, he'd given his reasoning, and that he had nothing more to say on the matter.

[Soundwave]

Starscream needed to remember, that it was Soundwave's tracking skills that led him to Cliffjumper to begin with.

The Second in Command wasn't paying attention in full again, Soundwave could pick up on that in an instant. His mind wandered, attention drifted, the way his gaze didn't focus fully down upon him with the alertness needed to process the data he was throwing at him... It was no mystery then that things didn’t pan out in full, for Starscream only seemed to start to think about it and snap away from his daydreaming when the red highlights were offered to hold his hand through the process.

New excuses, new deceit, Soundwave knew the best fabricated lies all stemmed by tiny fragments of truth to make it more realistic. It added greater validity, and made a story flow that much more. It is because of this, the navy mech could piece together many things that needed to be done. While it would have been more cutthroat to corner the other Cybertronian on his roundabout commentary and try to trap him, it was also more effort than was worth against an individual that could weave deceit with skill, and he could get far more value out of simply accepting what Starscream said, and turning any future goals upside down and make them more difficult.

Oh... they were of high value?

Very well.

High value they would become.

Soundwave backed off then, his weight gently rolling upon his peds so that he didn't hook forward as much as he typically did. Subtle relaxing, calmness among a still sea. He seemed to accept what was said, no longer postured with the faint inklings of aggression or confrontation. His helm even dipped down a slight amount, pacified, sated, though the screen that held the reports remained active.

With a flick, the five identification numbers and designations of the chosen Eradicons, changed from white text to teal, before they were labeled as holding higher status within the Nemesis' systems with a simple glyph. It was nothing that the general populace would see, Vehicon's wouldn't get uppity about a random five individuals having their stance boosted in the hierarchy, but it made a hard note for high command to be aware of, and would slot them for some perks and added recognition among the upper tier of Decepticons.

They would get jobs with high command more often, and they would get the opportunity to excel and show their value, just as Starscream wanted! They would get the full benefits of what they were labeled as, which came with a couple benefits that assisted Soundwave too. Namely... they would be slotted in jobs more in the limelight, while also being tasked to see Knock Out on more regular occasions, tethering them to the Nemesis in monitored situations. They even got their first task already for when they would return! The schedules changing behind scenes to slot them in to the next blank space in the Medbay, so that they could be checked out to make sure they remained fit to be on call for high command.

Somewhat difficult to keep doing secret jobs under the radar then.

In one swift strike, masked under kindness and the acceptance of the higher ranked mech's judgments, Soundwave clipped the wings of five trusted soldiers. In addition to all this, the likelihood of those five troopers getting more jobs like this from Starscream went down, which meant the remaining two that were going to cover for them and didn't get 'promoted', were now the ones TRULY being monitored, a fact Soundwave didn't broadcast.

Check.

[Starscream]

It was a tense few seconds, that seemed to drag on forever.

Would Soundwave finally accept Starscream's reasoning and leave him be? Or would he drag this out further with more pointless files and pretty graphs - thus wasting both their time even more, when there really was nothing else to add? Starscream stood still, stare still lingering on the visor of the other mech...

...Although he was starting to lose his composure and the air of superiority he seemed to hold over the spymaster. A nervous lip twitch here, a flick of his wings there... He was milliseconds from blurting out yet more reasoning and excuses for what was going on, just to make Soundwave go away.

Until there was movement, and Soundwave backed off. Starscream relaxed his posture just slightly, and would vent out an audible sigh of relief – which he'd quickly cover with a quiet cough as he noticed that the screen hadn't changed, and indeed remained active.

It seemed Soundwave wasn't done with this, and Starscream was not free yet. 

Starscream's optics widened just slightly as the designations of the five Eradicons changed from white text to teal. He knew what that meant. And it was exactly what Starscream did not want. He wanted them to fly under the radar – a feat deemed near impossible given Soundwave saw and heard almost all at the best of times – but this would make things very, very difficult.

“Ah, Soundwave! I knew you'd give credit where credit is due!” He purred, looping his arms behind his back once more and standing tall. “...However, may I recommend waiting until they return from this mission? This was a test to see how they do. No point in promoting them up if they fail horribly, after all!” He chuckled nervously at that. “I was going to change their status myself should they succeed, but I don't want to jump the gun, as it were!”

Already his processor was thinking up ways to reverse this little hindrance to his future plans – so even if Soundwave refused to change it back despite the obvious logic behind Starscream's suggestion, they would not remain higher on the hierarchy for long.

[Soundwave]

Let's say Soundwave believed everything truly. The test that was being presented to these fliers? Well... it was pointless flight maneuvers and simple scouting. Unless Starscream planted some kind of event to see if they were clever enough to find it ((something he did not imply he did)) then the Eradicons were not going to fail the task. They have more likely than not accomplished numerous missions just like this in the past, a fact supported by impeccable records that only held a few holes here or there that were likely... orchestrated gaps...

The backtracking on valiant soldiers being given recognition was just one more nail in the metaphorical coffin that was being constructed for the silver mech. This was something to be happy about! To have his choice soldiers higher in hierarchy! Kept safe! Truly if Starscream wasn't doing anything sketchy, this would be a boon, and not backtracked so readily. It was almost a gift that Soundwave had regarded them as highly as he had with just a word of recommendation.

These soldiers Starscream put hope into, put praise and effort into building up, they were not even trusted by the second in command enough to complete such a simple job? Soundwave's visor flicked back to black then, voiding out any details or glyphs that may have been shown a moment prior leaving him staring back with a faceless gaze. Calm, quiet, he said nothing, did nothing, just contemplated what was happening, and wondering if Starscream would catch onto the issues he was making for himself.

Overall, Soundwave was done here; he had no need to continue the conversation, and stayed only to see if any more information was going to bleed out in stress induced rambles. If something of value could still be plucked free, it would be seen as unwise to not invest the meager time in getting it. That said... if Starscream looped in circles, or was going to now start wasting his time, he would more likely than not just turn and depart on his own so that he could launch Laserbeak to see for himself what was TRULY going on. But he wouldn't tip this hand to the other mech, no... why would he risk him getting a heads up sent to the Eradicon's before the cassette?

Subtly, his helm inclined in an implied look of judgment.