Master is Murdered

It's been a full megacycle since the three seekers will have seen Karma. His absence, though rather short, is to be noted since the mech usually spends a majority of his time on the campus of the private flight academy, instructing students or aiding them in both their extracurricular and academic activities.

Early that megacycle, Starscream leaves his habsuite, determined to find Karma, confront him about his absence and ask him about--well, everything. The timing of his little 'talk' with them and then his subsequent unannounced leave is rather uncanny, and Starscream can't help but be both worried and suspicious.

On his way towards central campus, he'll run into the other seekers. "You haven't seen Karma, have you?" he asks them. "I haven't. I know it hasn't been long but neither of you can deny that it's still odd for him not be seen around for even a megacycle..."

Thundercracker was minding his own business getting ready to do a whole lot of nothing when Starscream finds him. He shrugs at his question. "I havent seen him. And I dont pay attention so not sure if its odd for him or not. Maybe its odd for you to think its odd for him?"

Slipstream has been on edge for far too long. It's bad enough that she has to be ever vigilant, in order to maintain her cover. There are a lot of clever bots among the Seekers and any one of them could find her out if she is not careful enough. Yet, she is also on edge as Karma has been absent. She likes the old bot. Yet, the instructor being missing also means everyone else is on edge too... which is not a good thing.

As Starscream comes out onto the central campus, Slipstream stands with Bitstream, arguably the nerdiest of all the Seekers. She is only half listening to him explain the latest game he has designed. "More later," she urges him as she moves away, to give chase to Starscream. Sorry Bits. Slipstream dashes to catch up to him... just as he gets to Thundercracker. Slipstream can"t help rolling her optics at the blue Seeker. "He's not \*here\*," she whispers to them both, cutting through all of the pending posturing to get to the point. "We need to go find him. Before anyone panics."

Starscream sighs and shakes his helm at Thundercracker's usual apathy, but he makes no comment. When Slipstream dashes up to them, he nods. "I figured as much," Starscream replies urgently, "and you're right. We need to find him before everyone starts to think it's odd that he hasn't been around..."

He grabs Thundercracker's arm and starts dragging him along. "I have a suspicion that--"

He stops, as they are now in front of Karma's office. He's not there, of course, but the red and white seeker notices there are three data parcels in his mailbox, each labeled with their subsequent names. "...." He retrieves them frowning. "This is odd.." He mutters, handing Slipstream hers and Thundercracker his.

Slipstream tags along, since she doesn't need to be lead. She follows a pace behind, all the way to Karma's office, where she too is perplexed by the parcels. She accepts hers, examines it but... waits for Thundercracker to open his first. If it's a bomb, she'd rather it go off in \*his\* face. "Maybe he retired, and we have graduated? To replace him?" She knows that's not true, but she does like to play at goading her brothers egos.

Thundercracker gets drug along by his brother and a protest dies off in his voice synth halfway out. IT wont do any good and then suddenly a package is thrust in his arms. He glances at Slips and shrugs, "Why are you lookgin at me like that? Go ahead and open yours." yea he was waiting for her to open her package first.

But before any of them can even open the parcels, they'll notice that Karma is coming down the hallway towards them. He smiles broadly at them, gesturing grandiosely. "Ah, my star pupils!" he says much more enthusiastically than usual.

Starscream frowns. There's something off about Karma, although he isn't sure just what yet. His mood seems to have changed drastically, for one...

Karma approaches them, nodding. "I have made an arrangement for all the seekers," he says, "an offsite, if you will! A new... learning experience everyone here must undergo and complete. And since you three happen just happened to run into me upon my return, you have the privilege of being the first to go on this little excursion!"

Thundercracker looks annoyed.

Femmes first, huh? Slipstream never would have taken Thundercracker as a gentlemech. "Mmm, suuuure," she considers as she is too curious to keep the parcel wrapped much longer. But then Karma shows up. On instinct, she pops the canopy on her cockpit and stuffs the parcel inside for safekeeping, and thus for later. "Sir! You'lve been... busy?" Well, that wasn't expected. She does step towards him however and nods. "Shall we go now?"

"Yes, of course!" Karma says, glancing over at Thundercracker, who appears disgruntled. "Why what's the matter, Thundercracker? I am about to introduce you to a whole new way of thinking that will make your entrance to the Elite Guard smoother and easier!"

Starscream was as eager as Slipstream until Karma suddenly mentions 'a whole new way of thinking.' He reaches out and grabs Slipstream's arm, frowning.

"Master, what do you mean? Haven't you already taught us the right mindset?" he asks, his optics shifting from Slipstream to Thundercarcker.

Karma hesitates, his expression oddly blank for a moment. "Oh of course I have, but I just want to be certain you are being influenced in the way that is best for you. Wouldn't want any of the tainted or rebellious ideas floating around these days to get inside your helms, you know?"

Thundercracker frowns but says nothing. He just watches Starscreams reaction and glancs at Slipstream for hers. He notices finally hes still got his package in his hands, when he sees hers is gone. He lifts up his canopy and puts his package inside for safe keeping as well.

For the moment, Slipstream ignores both Starscream and the hold he has on her. Really,that mech has GOT to learn to control himself. She does, however, look over at Thundercracker as he remains \*silent\*. Even as Karma addresses him! She could slap him! Angry flares in her optics as she \*glares\* at her eldest brother.

To prevent herself from gutting him she looks back to Karma - still ignoring Starscream. "That sounds promising, sir. Of course, you should lead the way! If we can go right now." She smiles encouragingly to him. "What I think Starscream means to say is that we would relish the opportunity to get alone with you." NOW she flicks a glance to Screamer. Her optics go right back to Karma though. "We would be glad to put all worries to rest," she promises for them all.

Starscream frowns, his grip on Slipstream's arm tightening. "<What the hell is wrong with you? He's setting us up to get shadow played. They must have done the same to him. If we go with him, it's going to spell doom, for not just us but for all the other seekers in this private academy>" He glances over at Thundercracker, trying to read his brother's expression, hoping he isn't wanting to do what Slipstream is suggesting.

Karma is shaking his helm. "Come now, it won't be bad, I promise." He reaches for Thundercracker's hand, hoping to drag the apathetic one along without any protest.

Thundercracker pulls his hand back as Karma reaches for it, "What is wrong with the way we think already? I dont want anyone in my head, changing it around -- even if it is you." he looks at Starscream, "What's wrong here?"

Slipstream wrenches her arm away from Starscream's grasp rather violently. It's been a long time since she has had to ... well, do the things that got her abandoned on Cybertron. But if these spineless Seekers won't do what must be done... "< I know, you \*idiot\*! >" She's mad. Mad that Scream thinks she is dumb enough to fall for this plot. Mad at Cracker for not giving a scrap even when everything finally matters. Mad that she will have to do what she is now prepared to do. "<Let me do what you are too craven to,>" she hisses at them both. Privately of course.

To Karma she is all smiles as she steps right up to him, and even seeks to take his arm. She'll lean in to him, tender and soft as can be. She WAS ready to jet off with Karma alone but now she WANTS the boys to come with her, so they can witness. "We'll all go," she vows for them, a charming smile on her lips. "Right now. The sooner the better!"

Thundercracker pulls his hand back as Karma reaches for it, "What is wrong with the way we think already? I dont want anyone in my head, changing it around -- even if it is you." he looks at Starscream,<<"So now what? If you arent going Im not going -- not that I wanted to go in the first place...">> he glances at Slipstream, "<<And you want to go still?>>"

But what else can be expected of them? Both Thundercracker and Starscream are hardly five metacycles old. They know little of pain or the world around them.

Starscream just stares at Slipstream, then over at Thundercracker and Karma. "<...d-dammit>" Starscream knows what Slipstream is alluding to, and he knows what has to be done but he's afraid. He also isn't convinced that's the only solution.. it can't be! The old Karma is still down there buried deep, right?? But he can't deny the horrible feeling swelling in his chassis that his gut reaction is going to be the end result...

Karma shakes his helm. "I didn't want to have to do this, but I suppose if you aren't willing, I'm going to have to call the Enforcers in," he says gravely.

Starscream's optics widen, and he takes a step back. "N-no.." he mutters. But he knows if he doesn't act now, it will be too late. He's suddenly remember what Karma had told him previous about looking after the other seekers--and before he can stop himself, both of his null rays are mobilized, set to fatal.

The shots blaze from the barrel of his weapons and strike Karma square in the helm. Nano-kliks later, a smoking stump is all that's left of Karma's helm.

Thundercracker steps back suddenly not at all looking apathetic, "You shot his head off." he stammers the obvious. "That's not going to be easy to undo if you were wrong." leave it to TC to be the party pooper, right?

Slipstream stands there. Blinking. As close as she was to Karma it is \*her\* that could have been shot. She should be furious. She should be livid that Starscream was so reckless with her in the way and yet... with this mech should she expect anything else. What she is, however, is something else entirely. She backs away from the headless master to show Starscream something - her hand. It is... different. Not like her other one. It is sleeker, pointed, ending in piercingly sharp claws, held together like a dagger. "Well, that was \*messy\*," she chastises Starscream. Her plan at least would have been easier to clean up.

Still, what Starscream has just done changes everything. She looks at her brother differently now. What before was a presentation of expected support is now replaced with genuine, profound respect. Since she hid herself among the Seekers she has hated Starscream for all his cunning, guile and spinelessness. She has craved for someone of promise (Thundercracker) to step up to squash the ambitious snake that Starscream is. Now? She will follow this mech knowing he will one day betray her.

Before Starscream can feel the shock of his (first?) kill she steps towards him, seeking to fill his vision. Slips reaches out to those arm-cannons (both hands being 'normal' now), meaning to tip both of them downward. They won't be needed any more right now. "Still, this is nothing that can't be cleaned up. Leave the body to me. I will handle it," she tells him. If she is going to trust in Starscream, perhaps he will trust in her. She flicks her optics to Thundercracker. "Is your oil that \*thick\*? Starscream wasn't wrong, you \*bolt\*. Do something useful for once. If you're going to be as brutish as Thrust then at least put your gears to use. Ransack this place. Make it look like a theft. Whatever you take do \*not keep\*. Destroy it, completely."

Thundercracker narrows his optics, "Dont compare me to Thrust." he says angrilly and then turns his back on them, "Fine I will wreck the place -- you two deal with whats left of karma." and with that he goes inside and starts ransacking the place from one end to the other. Perhaps he's venting some of his own frustration with his own lack of action in this while he's doing this 'job'.

"..." Starscream stares at the dead body of his mentor. His hands are trembling visibly, and he glances over at Thundercracker with a grieved expression as he states the obvious.

Still at a complete loss for words, he stares at Slipstream's claws with great unease. He doesn't say anything in response to Slipstream, instead, he steps back, the shock of what he's just done washing over him. His helm is spinning, and he isn't sure what to make of anything, except that he's terrified, confused, and hurt.

But suddenly, Starscream hears a distant rumble and glances out the window. In the distance he can see at least thirty or more Senate Enforcers converging on the campus. There isn't time to cover up the murder--he'd reacted too late and Karma had already asked for backup. "Thundercracker...! Wait!" He glances back at Slipstream. "We have to get out of here, the Enforcers are going to be here in nanokliks."

He pauses. "This isn't going to be easy. There's no time for me explain our plan of escape. Let's sync up, you two, follow my lead.." the seeker says, opening up panels on either wings and pulling out twin interface cables.

Thundercracker stops and looks back at his brother, "What no--" he hears the noise of the Enformers heading their way. He mentally opens up a panel on his wing, "Make it fast." he deep voice rumbles. Hes in no mood to deal with whats heading their way.

Slipstream slaps Starscream.

Not hard, but enough to call his attention. He might be panicking but she is deathly calm. She's been in this kind of situation before? "\*Now\* is not the time to be foolish, or rushed. None of us can afford to be sloppy in this moment, Starscream. A hastily made plan is a \*terrible\* one. Buy us time for \*that\*," she waves at the interfacing cables. "Not here, not \*now\*." Besides, Thundercracker has already trashing Karma's office. "You \*killed\* him, Starscream. You murdered Karma. Our teacher." She lets that sink in for just a moment before she continues. "You will die for that. We three will all die for that. Unless you do something about it." She looks at him, dead in the optics. "Lie." Slipstream smiles here, faintly. Doesn't she make it sound simple? She looks at him, still calm, with utter confidence. "You have to sell this. To those Enforcers, to the Senate, to all of Cybertron if you must."

She steps back then and turns to touch Karma. "Don't ruin it, this lie, Starscream. Be smart. Make it work." She is trusting him, trusting them BOTH! Because she shares with them something she has been so careful to hide until this very moment. In the next instant she and the body of Karma vanish.

Starscream isn't surprised when Slipstream slaps him. "...." he just looks away, staring at the floor in remorse, but unwilling to admit that's what he's feeling.

"I didn't make this plan in haste," he snaps at his sister. "I knew, as soon as Karma was gone for more than three cycles that this was a possibility and planned for it. And if we don't get out of here in nano-kliks, yes, we're all going to die." Then his optics widen when she tells him to lie. She's making it sound simple, but it isn't. "I--I..." his optics flicker.

Then Thundercracker is opening his interfacing port and Starscream can hear the Enforcers taking the campus by storm. "Let's go. We're just going to have to fly and hope the cables don't slip out of their ports." Quickly, he transforms connects himself to Thundercracker. Then, he heads straight for sub-level classrooms below the campus.

As soon as their ports collide, Thundercracker will get a glimpse into his brother's mind and sense a type of oneness that perhaps he has not experienced before. Starscream's conscious reaches out towards Thundercracker's mind, sharing with him the tentative escape route he's planned out.

Thundercracker is jolted when their minds touch. Hes not used to this but he gets a picture of the escape route so to speak and transforms and follows his brother in perfect synch.

Slipstream is gone. Lie or no lie, someone had to deal with the body. She had prepared to cause Karma's death so was willing to have that energon on her hands. She'll take the heat if found, which is more than she was willing to do for Starscream before though accepts now.

Starscream was right about one thing at least--leaving the campus unscathed and unseen by the Enforcers is difficult. Thankfully, the interfacing saves their afts--if Thundercracker weren't attached to Starscream's central processor, following his lead would have been impossible.

Eventually, Starscream will lead them to Tagan Heights and land in a small cavern in the face of the towering cliffs. Thundercracker may be surprised that Starscream doesn't immediately sever the cabling that's connecting them once they touch solid ground. Instead, he stays in his alt form, facing the horizon.

Thundercracker will suddenly be bombarded by an influx of emotions from Starscream. His younger brother is terrified, confused, pained, and anxious. He's hearing over and over, Slipstream's words. 'You killed him Starscream. You murdered Karma. Our teacher.' Like a broken tape recorder, the memory replays.

It might be a lot for Thundercracker to take in. But he will sense that Starscream's pain is eased by the fact that Thundercracker is sharing it with him...

Thundercracker follows his brother of course and once they get where SS was heading he too sits in alternate mode next to Starscream. He is taking all that comes into his mind and cnly sit there and try to make sense of it. He tries to send through the inerface some sense of calmness but hes pretty sure thats going to be impossible. So the blue Seeker sits there and deals with the emotions bombarding him though the interface cables in silence.

Slipstream is smart enough to have found the breadcrumbs that her leader, Starscream, left for her. It takes a while for her to catch up but then she did have a body, of someone rather important mind you, to take care of. She decloaks before she finishes her approach, so they can be aware that she is coming. Also in her alt-form, Slipstream slows as she gets closer to Starscream's hidey-hole. Maybe the alone time for the boys will have been good. Thundercracker would do well to witness some of Starscream's spine, now that he has found it, and Scream could benefit from Cracker's support. After what Starscream has done, it has surely been earned.

"Miss me?" She asks this as she gets to them and, smoothly, falls into formation.

It isn't. Starscream senses it, just a little. And it isn't nearly enough to calm him or even make him feel any better, but the fact that Thundercracker is trying comforts him, just a tad. And he is well enough content to sit in silence, allowing Thundercracker to share the heavy burden on his mind. It suffices, for the time being.

"No," Starscream says almost immediately, "but I kept wondering if you were dead or alive and not knowing really bothered me. Took you long enough--the sun is setting already." And he leaves it at that, turning to face the horizon once more as the sun slowly disappears and night takes over.