122/Graduation and Murder

**Phantom has posed:**
Finally, the momentous day has arrived.

 The day in which all of the fliers who have attended the Vosian Flight Academy are awarded appropriately for all their hard work. The day that they have probably all been looking forward to but dreading at the same time. Simultaneously an end and a new beginning.

 Graduation.

 Many astute scholars as well as alumni and various folk who might have liked to attend are here, watching as the graduates take their seats up front. The crowd, previously murmuring mildly, quiets down as the flight academy's headmaster steps onto the stage, heading for the podium. "Femmes and gentlemechs.." he addresses the crowd politely. "The aim of education is the knowledge, not of facts, but of values..."

**Sunstorm has posed:**
Sunstorm is here in the alumni section, curiously watching the new graduates with a slight smile on his face. When he sees new graduates of the academy, he thinks of /potential/. Not so much potential for the Decepticons, though there is that. His interest is the potential these young fliers might have as disciples of his religion.

**Windcry has posed:**
For this day of importance, Windcry has been shined up nicely. After all, students have to make a good show at such events. And most of them WANT to. Not being in the top three, she's not the fanciest person there, but she still has a respectable amount of shine and polish to her.

Having filed into her seat, she sits at attention, keeping her posture proper, her expression attentive to the headmaster as he speaks. Part of this is mere show, but a deeper part is telling her that this might be his last, unfettered speech. Perhaps his last speech period. She isn't sure of the Headmaster's politics, but whatever they are, Cybertron is just getting more dangerous with every cycle. Education for the sake of education may become a lost luxury, and she takes a moment to feel sad about this.

**Phantom has posed:**
She'll notice though, that many of the seats in the front row that are supposed to be taken by those graduating, are empty. That's.. peculiar. But she may recall that some of her peers had dropped off the face of Cybertronin this past semester. Most just dismissed their absence as coincidental, and were certain they'd resurface at graduation. But it would appear that this is not the case.

 The seeker next to her looks uneasy. He keeps glancing over at the empty seats, fidgeting.

**Sunstorm has posed:**
Sunstorm hms to himself, folding his arms across his warm chestplate as he sees the vacancies in the graduation line. "Why wouldn't somemech want to be at their own graduation ceremony?" he wonders.

**Windcry has posed:**
Windcry only flicks a glance sideways at the nervous seeker. She'd just assumed that a lot of the mechs were so impatient to join the Decepticons that they'd decided graduating wasn't important and left school early. Still, she made note of the nervousness of the mech next to her. It might be important. She also casts the occassional glance outwards to the crowd; perhaps something there is making the mech anxious. But, for all those watching, she's paying attention to the speakers.

**Phantom has posed:**
Then, as per usual, the elusive foreigner phases through a wall behind Sunstorm. "You should ask your brother that," he says quietly, "he would definitely know the answer to that question." Phantom seems somewhat uneasy as well. He's glancing up at headmaster on the stage.

 She'd guessed right to a large extent, but no one really knows that. The seeker next to her is frowning now. He leans towards Windcry. "Where do you think those guys went?" he asks, in his naivety.

 Meanwhile, the headmaster drones on. "...as many of you may know, this institution has been through much. From the ground up, it was built in this great city, training only the most talented into the greatest flying heroes of all time. Through society's good and bad, our flight academy has stood, and our students graduated, to become successful and people of notable contribution. Even through the period of time when a despot reigned as the headmaster, this school stood strong and our students were not fouled by his wayward tendencies and rebellious nature. And since then, the government has even improved the academy, and appointed me as headmaster -- which I am grateful for, and so very honored by. The government's guidance assisted in making this school even more glorious now than it ever has been..."

**Starscream has posed:**
The bewildered and slightly subdued atmosphere of this graduating ceremony is suddenly interupted by the sound of twin tetrajet engines. Not just any engines mind you but ones with a distinct high-pitched sound above the normal torque growl... this is /the/ Seeker of Seekers coming in and even before he can be seen some might realized that Starscream is heading in. And hes heading in hot and fast.

In several very short minutes the Tetrajet streaks overhead to suddenly slam on its airbrakes above the stage where the Headmaster is, transform and land on the stage a couple feet away from the older mech.

With no warning the Decepticon Second in Command flips a dagger out of a forearm compartment, turns to the Headmaster and plunges the dagger straight through the mechs chest and into his spark chamber.

Starscream grins evilly as he stares into the fading optics of the mech and slowly he twists the blade, "Your services to my academy are no longer required..." and with that hs shoves the dead meach off his blade and turns to the audiance. "Sunstorm, secure the perimeter, Windcry where are the rest of the graduating class?" So calm, so nonchalant after outright killing someone in such cold blood isn't he?

**Sunstorm has posed:**
Sunstorm soon understands what Phantom means, as Starscream makes his grand appearance, and...wait, /this/ part isn't in the official program!

The radioactive Seeker decides that there is probably VERY good reason for this takeover, and each scenario he considers definitely benefit the Decepticons. "Understood, Commander," he replies, and without hesitation, moves to guard and prevent attendees from fleeing.

**Windcry has posed:**
Not the choice Windcry would have made, for she respects learning and education. But she didn't carefully plan things to get caught like a turbo-deer in the headlights. Crying over a dead mech won't help her any, and she burries deep the stabbing fear she feels at the time the dagger steals the life out of the headmaster. Associating with Starscream is like playing with fire; she's sure to get burned. But it's too late now; he already knows who she is.

Dealing with the here and now, she answers the nervous mech in a clipped tone. "I'd assumed that most of them had been over eager and joined with the Decepticons," she says with an elegant shrug. As Starscream issues orders, she watches to see who Sunstorm is since she knows him more from a radio conversation than anything else. But she also indicates the row of students she is sitting with. "This is all of us that are left. Those that are not already with the Decepticons, I don't know their fate," she states, her tone carefully neutral.

**Phantom has posed:**
The crowd goes into an uproar, and people begin panicking and rushing for the exits madly, trying to avoid Sunstorm, while security tries to handle the situation.

 The headmaster lets out a final croak before slumping down onto the stage, dead.

 "Starscream!" the lead security mech shouts, aghast, "Stand down immediately!" He glances over at the other guards, "Arrest him!" The other security guards quickly surround Starscream, readying their TechVolts should Starscream try to resist them.

 Phantom is surprised. "What?" he gasps, "he didn't even try to hide himself killing that guy... huh, he is really something else," he mutters. He then goes to assist Sunstorm.

**Sunstorm has posed:**
Sunstorm stands at the exit, his optics blazing fiercely and radiating a great deal of heat. "Resist at your peril!" he warns. For the moment, he does just what Starscream has requested of him, although he wonders to himself if the Air Commander can handle the security forces. Hopefully, he researched this matter ahead of time.

**Starscream has posed:**
Starscream stares at the security mech, "Make me stand down." his arm cannons begin to hum with a sound that meand one thing: null ray. "I am taking this academy back for its own wellbeing. This mech --" he kicks the body at his feet without taking his optics off the security mech, "betrayed this place and all its students to the Autobots. What I have done had to be done. Now are you with me or is it lights out for all of you?" he glances at the rest of the secutiry mechs in a silent challange.

**Windcry has posed:**
This really wasn't what Windcry had in mind for her Graduation. It really wasn't! But somehow she doesn't think that her personal dreams are really going to weigh in right now. Carefully she folds her arms across her chest and puts on her best implacable face. After all, she's still TECHNICALLY a student. Speaking of students, she flicks a glance towards the nervous one that was standing besider her to see how he's handling this hostile take-over. Otherwise she just watches the Decepticons in action to learn what she can from how they act, how they work.

**Phantom has posed:**
The security guard sets his jaw, clenching his fists. "Don't say I didn't give you a choice," he growls, "detain him!" he shouts to the security mechs.

 They attack, sending several charged blasts in Starscream's direction.

 The student not far from Windcry is frozen in his spot, terrified. "Y-you know him?" he stammers. "H-how... what the hell is going on?" he whispers, in shock.

 Several of the other students don't look terribly surprised or panicked, though. They stand up, glancing over at Starscream. "Slag this place," one them says to Starscream, "I say we just burn this hellhole to the ground. If we try to claim it, the damn government will just come back and try to kick us out. Again. If we can't have it, no one can. We can always.. meet elsewhere."

**Sunstorm has posed:**
"<< Commander, should you need assistance with the security forces, let me know, >>" Sunstorm tightbeams to Starscream, even as he and Phantom guard the perimeter and force those trying to flee to remain within the area and stand down.

**Starscream has posed:**
Starscream bolts upward into the sky as several blasts head his way. "HOLD YOUR FIRE!" he yells in a commanding tone. He glances toward the mech who suggested they burn the place to the ground. "Have you no faith in ME?" he tightbeams to Sunstorm then <<deal with the security forces firing at me>> Outloud he continues, "There is no try to claim it, This Academy is ours-- this academy is now MINE -- the best Seeker who has ever lived. I tell you that I will claim this as mine and I can assure you and any other Seeker that you will be trained and be treated as the superior mechs that all of you are! As of now the Vosian Academy is mine and as of now it goes underground. I need all of you with me on this."

**Windcry has posed:**
Windcry smiles faintly at the Nervous Student. "Luck, I suppose," she demures. Though she doesn't state whether it was bad luck, or good. "But my best guess is that we're being claimed by Starscream for whatever purposes he sees fit," she says with a nonchallant shrug of her shoulders. And she gives a scathing glance at the mechs who suggest burning the place, but says nothing about it. Starscream himself has plenty to say, and he certainly says it loud and clear. Not being one to yell and cheer, she simply raises her fist in a salute of sorts, then places it across her chest. What the other Seeker students do is up to them.

**Phantom has posed:**
The security mechs stumble backwards as Starscream bolts upward, startled.

 The students who had stood up before approach where Starscream had stood before, ready to fly off and follow the Air Commander.

 The one who had spoken glances over at Windcry and the Nervous Student. "Aren't you going to join us?" he asks, his optics narrowing a little. "I mean, there isn't much left of our former school to stay for anyway."

 The nervous student looks over at Windcry, terrified out of his mind. "I-I.." He wants to know want she's going to do.

**Sunstorm has posed:**
Sunstorm obligingly listens to his radio, then turns his arm-guns on the security personnel who are attacking Starscream and begins spraying laser-fire in their direction. "Join, or perish!!" he exclaims.

**Windcry has posed:**
Windcry laughs softly and lifts up just enough to be hovering above the ground. She extends a hand to the Nervous Student. "It's probably going to be now or never," she says. "It just won't pay to sit on the fence. We've been training all this time to fight; it's just a question of sides. You either stick with what you know, or you go into the unknown." She lowers her voice just a little. "The others will never trust you, you know," she whispers to him. Either way, it looks like his indecision, not hers.

**Phantom has posed:**
The other student who had addressed her earlier nods. "So you are joining us, then," he says, "well, hurry up. He's fast." He and other students then leap into the air, following Starscream out of the academy.

 The Nervous student glances at Windcry, then over at where the other students had been a moment ago. "I..I.. " he takes her hand. "I suppose," He says quietly.

 The security mechs, overwhelmed and realizing they're in the minority, begin requesting for back up, trying to keep Sunstorm and Phantom from damaging civilians inside the pavilion.

**Starscream has posed:**
Starscream sees the Seekers coming up to meet him in the air and looks down at the Security Guards. "Leave, there is nothing left for you to 'secure' now. The Academy no longer requires your services." he glances at those in the air, "Sunstorm." he says suddenly. "Put these mechs through their paces and evaluate them." he hovers down toward the ground slightly. "Those of you still on the ground, clear this mess up and secure the building." he gives a distasteful glance toward the dead headmaster's body on the stage. "And someone get rid of that traitorous trash."

**Sunstorm has posed:**
"With pleasure, Commander," Sunstorm intones, soaring over and floating down to give the mechs a somewhat creepy smile. "Congratulations, you've graduated into something much better. It's time to put your skills to the test, for a much more important purpose than the old Academy could have even imagined for you!"

**Windcry has posed:**
Windcry refrains from making a sarcastic comment to the one who addressed her. She /knows/ who Starscream is; she doesn't need to be told he's fast. Giving the Nervous Student a quick nod, she turns and follows the other students. She's not sure whether to feel disappointed or excited. Years from now, will it really matter that she never had a formal ceremony? Will anyone really remember, or care? Most likely not. Looking towards Sunstorm, she smiles faintly and touches down to form a line. No sense hesitating now. Might as well get this done and over with. The old life is merging into the new without much time for thought or reflecting in between. She deliberates on whether she should mention the conversation they had before, but decides against it. Now seems like the time to be more...professional. So she stands at attention.

**Phantom has posed:**
The lingering seekers help to chase the rest of the security out of the building, but the one who had addressed him earlier glances urgently at Starscream. "If we are move the Academy underground," he says to Starscream, "we cannot meet here," he says, "you are highly wanted by the Autobots, and by morning this place will be crawling with those Autoglitches. I know somewhere we can go," he says, "Phantom helped us find it and get in, we'd often go there to study what you'd taught us," he says. He motions Phantom over, who gestures for them to follow him.

 The nervous seeker just hovers uncertainly next to Windcry, looking afraid. "...what now?" he asks.

**Starscream has posed:**
Starscream studies the mech for a long moment and the nods. Then he hovers over to the Nervous Seeker and looks him dead in the optic. "Get a hold of yourself, mech. You are a Seeker -- you are superior in every way to any ground mech and never forget that." he lifts back up and looks in the direction of his penthouse. "Phantom coordinate and secure the other location." he focuses on the mech suddenly, "Without phasing out for no reason. Understand?" he doesn't wait for a reply, instead he transforms into tetrajet mode and heads off to his habsuite.

**Windcry has posed:**
"We do as we're told, same as we did before," Windcry says to the Nervous Seeker decisively. "We fly, we shoot, we follow orders. Only now it's not just going to be drills. But we knew we wouldn't be in the Academy forever," she adds. Then Starscream tells him straight out to get ahold of himself and she nods her head. "That too," she adds once the intimidating mech takes off. "At any rate, this has been a memorable cycle," she says, looking skywards.