Dinobot Negotiations

*"What's the difference between a Dynobot and a Decepticon? You can negotiate with a Decepticon." - **Attributed to Rattrap.***

***OOC: This log rated PG-13 due to language, suggestive dialogue and minor sexual content. May be NSFW.***

++ Kaon ++

One of the largest energon mining centers on Cybertron, Kaon is part of a stretch of rough, difficult terrain known collectively as the Badlands.  Bordered by the seemingly endless orange desert of the Sea of Rust to the east and south, this large, flat plain is almost sealed in by the rising  red-purple peaks of the Manganese Mountains to the north and west. Kaon provides the central hub of activity and civilization in this area, while smaller polities such as Blaster City and Tesarus have arisen at its edges.

Dark gray and black metal, tough and resilient against wear, form the main colors of the city, its buildings in the shapes of domes, pyramids and jagged peaks. All of them are aerodynamically shaped so that their edges face the Sea of Rust, allowing the buildings to withstand the edges of any storms that blow in from the oxidized desert beyond. The area is noisy and dirty from the constant drumming of machinery: mining equipment, enormous energon transport haulers and low-flying ore shuttles fill the air with noise and lightly shake the ground as they pass. Heavy laborers, almost always low-caste, toil away here either at the surface, or below the ground, enjoying few comforts and fewer respites from their work. The slums of Wreckage Row are home to Kaon's work force, while the edge of the massive highway leading to nearby Kalis is guarded by the looming mushroom-shaped fortress of Kolkular. Somewhere near the edges of the ruins of Blaster City, an underground arena known as the 'Pits of Kaon' hosts illegal gladiator combat.

[Broadcast] Starchamber says, "Oh Sla~ag."
[Broadcast] Starchamber says, "You'd better hurry."
[Broadcast] Slag silence.
[Broadcast] Slag, stealthy dino. Stomp tromp.
[Broadcast] Starchamber says, "I can hear you."
[Broadcast] Slag huh. Scrapping noises, ripping noises. Static. Silence.

Megatron is outside watching the bustle of Kaon. Hes not quite out in the open but hes not super hidden either. Hes leaning against the corner of a building just watching everything around him while his mind ponders many things.

Ruiner takes up a lot of his thoughts. His beautiful destroyer... at the hands of the senate and certainly trepan before its over. Slag is hes not already been hammered. The information that has been compromised because of it.

But on a personal level in Megatron is what is being compromised of himself because the mech go captured. His hatred for the Senate -- for 'Autobots' has been growing even more every cycle his 'personal assistant' is held captive. His breaking point is coming and when it does, even he dosnt know what thats going to do.

In the meantime, the Forge has been relocated and the Gladiator is actually standing pretty close to its new hidden entrance. And so he stands there and watches and thinks of all things.

Starchamber is on her way back to the forge, prize in hand. Or rather, in cockpit. She looks as if she's been roughed up, with plating torn, singed and dented, but she's flying pretty steadily, so the internal damage is likely a minimum. Turning her nose up, she transforms into robot mode and drops to her feet. Slag's sword is in her hand.

The grin on her face is telling. She seems to be having a fantastic time as she turns to look at the road, as if expecting someone.

Not too long ago, Starchamber entered combat with Slag. Both survived and Starchamber escaped with the Dynobot's sword. A very unhappy Slag figured he better do something about it. Having seen the direction that the fighter took off in, Slag hauled himself out of the ruins of Blaster City, now called Slagtown, in his mind. With no melee weapon due to Starchamber's theft, Slag made due with what was on hand. A large I-beam is carried in the hands of the beastformer, tightly gripped. At the end of it? A mass of former signs, bodies, and whatever metal that Slag could throw together and melt down and stick on the end of the I-beam like an over-sized lollipop. 'Welcome to Blaster City' is emblozened on the side of it.

Slag knows where he is. He's been in this area of Cybertron before, both for missions and more recently, to earn a few extra shanix since him and his team are now free-lance and no longer accepted company of the Autobot ranks. His armor is still scrapped and pock-marked from his earlier battles, self-repair systems having to pick up most of the work and most likely to leave 'scars' in his metallic hide as he stomps down towards the middle of the street. Straight towards a showdown with Starchamber. The femme was /kind/ enough to keep her speed slow so that Slag could follow her path across the sky. He doesn't say anything at the moment, just dragging his makeshift mace to his side as he continues his approach.

Megatron watches Starchamber transform and land and looks at the sword in her hand. With a slight smirk he stands away from the wall he was leaning on and holds his hand out for the blade, "One would assume he hasnt taken too kindly to this and is following you, yes?" he doesnt wait for her to answer before he says, "Hopefully he will show up this vorn..."

Starchamber looks at that open hand and kinda... deflates. She wanted to be the one holding that sword, goading Slag into another magnificent round of strut-breaking, mount-shattering combat, but... well, the boss is the boss. With minor reluctance she hands the blade over, hilt first.

"Oh, he's following me. I gave him quite the incentive," she replies to the Decepticon leader.

Yes, indeed, the former Autobot is following. The first sign of this is the distant rumble of large feet plodding down the middle of the street. Then the large mech becomes more and more visible, with the lollipop of doom dragging behind him, grating and screeching along the ground.

A random mech comes out from a side building. "Hey keep down the noise will ya!?"

And for his reward, Slag actually lifts the large mace off the ground, swinging it around and smacks the mech with it, sending him flying towards a nearby wall. "Beg pardon." the large dino rumbles as he nears the entrance of the forge, his visor igniting in recognition of both the femme that dared to steal his weapon - and the rumor and myth of the mech that now holds it in his hands.

"I believe that is mine." Slag offers, as diplomatic as it gets. "Give it back and I will only smash in the femme's knees." he says, casting a glance and a smirk at her. "Because that will probably be the only way I get her on her knees, as she likes it."

Megatron sees her reluctance and sees her obediance. His optics glimmer a bit at that. Then there is a slight tremor in the ground followed by another then another. Footsteps it seems and the Miner turned rebel leader looks off in the distance. "IT seems my wait wont be that long after all." and he stands there, adjusting his stance to slightly more defensive as the lumbering Dinobot makes his way up to him and Starchamber.

Megatron hefts the blade in his hand testing its weight and balance, "Yes I believe this is yours. Weights not bad on it, well balanced. But payment for its return is not breaking the knee servos of this femme, whether she likes it or not." he pauses a beat then continues, "Why have you gone rogue?" Nothing like getting straight to the point.

Trust Megatron to kill the mood. When the boss is 'blocked' everyone else shares his 'blues'.

Starchamber eyes Slag as he makes his provocative comments. "My my. I'm not sure you'd know what to do with someone on their knees," she taunts with a mischievous leer.

"Why is that a concern of yours?" Slag asks Megatron bluntly. Though anyone that was listening to the chatter on channel a few cycles back knows exactly why when Feint spilt all the beans. "Autobots disbanned Primal Vanguard, turned against us when we came back changed. Wanted to see why we were what we are now. Experiment on us, build new weapons program. Frak that. Grimlock and I agree. Broke from hospital, left behind Sentinel Prime and his program. Vanguard not the same without us, collapsed. They can take it to the smelter and shove it up their aft for all I care." the large dinobot rumbles. "They act like we opted for this. Not what we asked for. Not a blessing from Primus. Frak them." he growls, getting more and more agitated by the moment as he has to talk instead of smashing things, his arm holding the large mace lifting it up and down and smacking it against his free hand in agitation.

With that, his visor turns to take in Starchamber. "That why you took my weapon? Just wanted to be lapdog to this? Bring him my weapon, get ener-goodie for your trouble?" he says, an amused and somewhat disgusted sneer crossing his features. "Thought you were made of sterner stuff. No better than some Autobots, all with Sentinel Prime's hand up their afts, holding their bearings, telling them when to cycle their oil and when to wipe their filters." he rumbles, and then she has to speak up.

"You wouldn't be able to handle it. Probably have a hard time polishing your own barrel." he rumbles towards her. "But don't worry. When we're done here, you and me, we will go find someplace private and we'll finish up that rough little fun that you let your little pet ruin earlier. He's hung all over you like a minibot looking for a refueling femme to feed off of. Need something better. Stronger. Someone that knows how you want to be handled. Should be handled. But then again..." that smile slips dangerous, tauntingly.

"Perhaps Megatron massaging your internals like Sentinel Prime rubs on Prowl."

The last thing Megatron wants to hear is circuit talk like this, not considering whats going on with him personally right now considering that very subject. With lightening speed the miner brings Slag's own blade to the Dinobot throat. He sneers, "What if I messgae your internals with your own blade, straught to your spark chamber?" he presses the blade in a bit breaking the armor slightly. "What you are doing is interferring with my plans and Im not interested in your sob story why you are doing it." even if he did ask he didnt want that detailed of an answer. "I do know you need to stop what youre doing....before I stop you from doing it."

Now's not a good time for witty retorts. Slag's really stepped in it. Starchamber doesn't know everything about the situation between Ruiner and Megatron - they certainly didn't display anything among the troops - so she can only assume that Megatron is furious over the loss of vital information and the forced move.

Being compared to Megatron's lapdog is infuriating, so much so that if the situation were different that would be all it would take to cause Starchamber to throw herself into battle with Slag in pure, unfettered rage. Being a Combatronian, and a survivor of a massive, civilization-ending planetary war has given her a certain amount of pride, and she will not allow it to be tarnished, if she can help it. It's a tribute to her military training that she does not snap back at Slag while Megatron threatens the dinobot. Instead, she simply narrows her optics and glares at him, her transformation plates raised like the hackles of an angry dog.

"Go ahead. Do it if ya think you it's what will tickle your fancy, Megatron." the dinobot growls. He feels a trickle of energon trickle down his throat from his own blade placed against his throat and Slag takes in the full situation. It may very well be a good cycle to be deactivated. When isn't it, after all? But there's something else. An overriding force that makes the dinobot actually give a throaty laugh. "Such a response would be considered a weakness, you realize?" he says towards the Decepticon leader. "You asked for my reasons. I want to get the frak off this planet and away from the collective stupidity that the Autobots and Senate have become. Rules. Rules everywhere. /Frak/ the rules." he grumbles, staying firmly in place.

"Now my turn to ask a question. You go through all this trouble, having Starchamber fetch me, just to end me? You do that, probably thoroughly get the collective fragging of the remains of my team. But I doubt that's what either of us want. I retract my previous statement." he finally says, as close to a /sincere/ apology as he will possibly get. He's not going to beg for his life. If this is it, this is it. He's firmly keeping an optic out for an option that at least let him take a few mechs down with him first. "And let's be honest. A rampaging Dynobot probably helps you far more than it hurts, since I have Autobots out looking for me and not coming down on you, yes?" he points out objectively. "Have no love for Autobots. Not really much love for you. But still interested. What is your angle, Megatron?" Speaking of getting right to the point - when the point is right at your throat, right? His feet dig into the metallic surface, the strain of barely concealed strength and anger bending the I-beam in his hands, the creaking and groaning of metal obvious as the Dynobot is about ready to break the metal in his hands.

His optics lift over Megatron's shoulder, settling on Starchamber. He hit a nerve. He knows he did. And he gives her a snort as he turns his attention back to Megatron, awaiting to see what the miner decides to do with this moment of angry rebellion from a hellion Cybertronian.

"I did not have Starchamber 'fetch' you." Megatron says, "What happened between the two of you was of your own violation so you feeling youve been brought here for your own termination is of no intention." though it could end that way if this makes a serious turn south.

"And you dispise the Autobots and the Senate?" Megatron asks, "Well congratulations, we agree on something." the blade is still pressed in Slag's neck and Megatron has no intention of releaasing it any time soon. "And a rampaging Dinobot does help me -- unless they are rampaging the wrong things the wrong way." There was his angle.

HA. SEE THAT SLAG? SHE IS NOT HIS GOPHER. Unless he orders it and then well it's just kind of disappointing and she's doing it because there's an opportunity for warfare. She was promised glorious combat and she's going to get it!!

"It was a hunt," Starchamber explains to Megatron, staring directly at Slag. "I wanted a challenge. The Forge has fighters one and all but so few are worth my time, and the ones that are have other duties to attend to. I went out for the thrill of the hunt and I found a prize, better even than that two-headed dragon and his strange underlings." The smile returns. Think on your feet, Slag, and you may yet come out on top.

It's probably a safe bet that if Megatron did pull back that blade, he'd have a very slagged off and rampaging Dinobot on his hands. As for now, the current method - which is very similar to what Grimlock uses to keep Slag in line - seems to be working as the large mech turns his attention back to the rebellion leader. Another snort. The blade goes a little deeper, cutting a little more, and it only makes the dino grit his teeth and grin with the pain again. No wonder Starchamber likes him.

"There something in Slagtown you want?" Slag finally asks flatly. "Because I can't see a reason else why you'd have me here at the moment." the dino keeps his grip on that mace tight and whole as he considers if he could transform faster than that blade could reach his spark chamber. He may be tactically at times, but he's not exactly the mental giant of the Dinobots. "Forge. Not the same since we no longer fight there." the Dino comments towards Starchamber. "Did the right thing to come look for me for a fight. But I am no prize for you. Maybe the opposite is true. Maybe not." he shrugs his shoulders as he returns his attention back to Megatron, waiting to see where he wants to stand on this little lover's quarrel slash Megatron's plans.

Megatron listens to Starchamber and then looks at Slag again. Yes the blade bit deeper and he almost wishes for the dinobot to be stupid and try to get out of this phyically. "No, you don't understand." he says finally almost talkig to Slag as if hes a new spark, "Theres nothing in Blaster City I wanted -- there is nothign in Blaster City anyone wanted. Your destroying the wrong things, Slag. Must I point you in the right direction to do the most damage?"

What's this? An opportunity for MORE COMBAT in even MORE PLACES? Oh yes, Slag. Please say yes to this. Please just take Megatron's advice patiently, you're being so patient already!, and let him tell you where to burn everything to the ground. Starchamber's hands tighten into fists and she leans forward expectantly, wings tipped upwards, gold optics pleading gently with Slag to just not do something completely stupid.

Slag snorts in response. /He/ wanted Blaster City and he /took/ it and now even Primus is going to tell him there isn't something there because it's his land and Megatron wants him, SO SUCK ON THAT LOGIC. Ahem. "Want me to attack Autobot targets? You have the wrong mech. I don't discriminate. I want the Senate to break as much as anyone else that ain't working for them. I don't like them and their rules. What's the incentive for doing what you want? Besides living - which frankly on this rock under these conditions? Ain't worth it. Tell me what it's worth, Megatron. What's a rebellion worth? What's taking down the establishment worth?" he asks finally, the dinobot's optics scanning Megatron's features before he glances towards Starchamber again. "She's powerful enough to do most anything that I could." The rare compliment comes from the Dino before he returns his attention to his situation.

"There is no rules for this new world, Megatron." the Dinobot SIC comments. "Want anarchy? Want wanton destruction? All well and good. But there's still nothing stirring my energon to make it happen." he says as he glances towards Starchamber and snorts. "She looks eager to do it. Perhaps do it.. together." he shrugs his shoulders, bouncing the ball back to Megatron's court.

Megatron says, "Because if you do what I want then the senate you hate so much will be destroyed -- Im not going to sit here all cycle and debate the finer points of over throwing a world government and why to you. IF you want incentive on what to raze to the ground, I can tell you but Im not going to give you a warm, caring, pep talk about why you should. Shanix is the only answer you will get there." hes not sure at this point he wants the dinobots in his army. They are annoying but if he can somehow point them in the right direciton to unleasth their destructive ways to better help him, so be it.

Slag considers this for a moment, then his hand drops from the mace and reaches up to grab the blade of his own sword. His fingers press into it, drawing yet more energon from them as he continues to hold his place and look down towards Megatron and slightly up at Starchamber. "Care not for a fragging pep talk. Save that for those that need it." he grumbles. When Megatron brings up the shanix, that speaks more of the dinobot's language. "I'll consider it. You can make suggestions, I get to decide if they're carried out." he points out to Megatron. He's not convinced to blindly follow Megatron. Even with the added incentive.

"It's pleasing to see things working out so well - In fact, let me see if I can't find something that will make a suitable target," Starchamber suggests oh-so-helpfully. She doesn't wait for Megatron to give her orders. She simply transforms and shoots off towards Kalis.

"Then I can decide if I pay you." Megatron counters and then shoves his grip off the blade, forcing Slags sword at him. Oh did that cut fingers? Tough. He turns away and walks away, back toward the Forge entrance almost daring the Dinobot to attack him from behind.

Slag is almost tempted to do the back attack thing - IT WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST TIME - but instead, he grunts, having had enough fun for one night. His sliced fingers seem to not be too much pain as he grumbles, shoving the sword back into it's hilt and he grumbles and heads off in another direction. Strange cycles on Cybertron, indeed.