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"I have never—I am loyal," Starscream hissed, backing away one careful step at a time. "I am loyal to the cause, and, and faithful, and—" His voice rose higher and higher the further he backed up.
His wings were trembling, Shockwave noticed.
His optics were at a distant zoom, taking in details from all around. His fists twitched abortively. The likelihood that Lord Megatron would miss such an indication was low, but it was logical to be prepared in case. His own coils hummed gently with referred fuel.
Considering his body language, tone, and history, and adjusting for the possibility that he was so used to this course of events that he was conditioned to such behaviour...
[Possibility of innocence,] Soundwave sent, [low.]
[0.91%,] Shockwave specified, without taking his single intent optic off Starscream. Three figures after the decimal point was preferred for accuracy, but he judged this interaction to be an informal one. Perhaps friendly, even.
Any one step of Megatron's was equal to two or more of Starscream's, and as their Lord's huge frame approached, Starscream's attitude became less of a slow retreat and more of a rapid scramble.
He was certainly scared. He wasn't lying about that.
There was something very predatory about Megatron as he stalked towards his cowering second in command.
One more step. The floor vibrated with it. Shockwave judged Starscream had backed too close to the wall of the Nemesis to escape now.
Soundwave was still, silent and apparently not paying attention across the bridge. He was plugged in to three separate consoles. It was unlikely that he had the free processor capacity to accurately assess the situation.
After a moment's hesitation—unnecessary—Shockwave sent him his calculations.
The faint, rapid clickclickclick of their ship trying to keep up with Soundwave's demands for data didn't slow for a moment, but he answered promptly with his own send—a likelihood of Starscream becoming damaged in the next 23 astroseconds.
It seemed... largely accurate, although Soundwave, too, had rounded up.
Unfortunately, on the heels of this comment, Shockwave's efficient processor immediately completed the supplies assessment for Starscream's repairs.
They were unacceptable at this time.
Unfortunately.
[It is your turn,] Shockwave told Soundwave.
There was a long pause.
This one was pure text: [Medical supplies: outside Soundwave's purview.] There was an implicit offer in the grammar to forward the concern onto the correct party—in this case, the ship's medic.
The ship's medic was unlikely to intervene in a timely fashion, if he even checked his messages, which they both knew. Shockwave deduced that Soundwave's suggestion was not genuine.
[Mechanisms on board relying on medical supplies include Soundwave and Laserbeak,] Shockwave pointed out, responding in text just as Soundwave had.
Another long pause.
But then Megatron, as fast as he was huge, lunged in a flash of silver. There came the familiar scrape of Megatron's claws on Starscream's neck cabling.
Shockwave watched, unmoved and without comment.
It was Soundwave's turn. Intervening himself would set an unfair precedent regarding the division of labour in these matters.
Soundwave finally turned away from the console screens and towards the deeply one sided confrontation taking place between his commanding officers.
He interrupted.
"Frag the codes, we've gotta get to that outpost!" came a staticky transmission, loud and aggrieved in the tense room. The voice was instantly recognisable as the Autobot, Bulkhead.
Megatron dropped Starscream with a thunderous clank. He turned toward where Soundwave was replaying the lead he had dug up, thoroughly diverted from his latest ongoing argument with Starscream.
No doubt he'd wanted to hand it over to their Lord all at once, fully realised, with the coordinates on hand. Shockwave was sympathetic to his motives, but unmoved.
"Ah. Soundwave," Megatron purred. "Always so reliable."
Starscream hissed quietly from the floor, but he scrambled to his feet and edged out of the command centre, rubbing his throat.
[Acceptable,] sent Shockwave.
Soundwave only responded with a blast of static that made him twitch.