CHAPTER EIGHT
--Junkion--
"Star Seekers," Ginrai muttered, shaking his head at the crashed ship the Junkions were currently investigating. "It just had to be Star Seekers."
"What are they doing here of all places?" asked Flareup, standing with her commander along with Dai Atlas, Star Saber, and Devcon. "Do you think they're after the Requiem Blaster as well?"
"Unlikely," Dai Atlas said, his arms folded over his chest. "Pirates would have little use for relics that many don't even believe to exist. They likely wouldn't find it worth their time to try to profit from one of them."
"It's still awfully convenient that they'd crash here," Devcon said. "There's something fishy about this, and last I checked, we weren't on Aquatron."
Star Saber gave Dai Atlas a concerned glance. "Should we look into it ourselves?"
"No, this is their turf and thus their concern. It's not our place to intervene."
"So if these pirates come out guns blazing, we should just stand by and watch?" Star Saber asked pointedly.
Dai Atlas sighed. It was never unlike Star Saber to challenge any order he gave.
"Fine," he muttered. "If it comes to that, then we'll provide our assistance."
As soon as he said that, the faint sound of shattering glass was heard and they all saw a black and gold mech falling from the broken viewport of the crashed ship's bridge. Before it had even hit the ground, a second form -- a brown and blue spaceship -- followed it, flying out and towards Dai Atlas and the others.
"Star Saber?" Ginrai said.
"Yes, Ginrai?"
"If we die, I'm going to kill you for this."
"I'm glad we've gotten along so well."
--The Tidal Wave--
"Scrap," was the first thing Fulcrum heard Axer say once they had gotten to the bridge. Since he was draped over Spinister's shoulder staring at the floor, he had no idea what had prompted the curse.
"What do you mean scrap?" he asked. "Why do you say scrap?"
"We're too late," Axer said. "The Hunter's already gotten Cannonball and he's now loose--"
"You!"
Fulcrum craned his head to see another Star Seeker -- a burly burgundy mech with hints of an animal alt mode -- storming up to Axer with the worst of all scowls on his face.
"You were supposed to be the Hunter's caretaker! How the slag did you let him get loose?!"
"It can wait, Stronghorn," Axer snapped. "Where's Cannonball? Did the Hunter get him?"
"He threw him out the viewport," said the one Fulcrum knew to be Ferak. "Unless he landed on something really sharp or a landmine, he should still be alive."
"In that case, I'll go get him--"
"No you don't." Stronghorn grabbed Axer roughly by the shoulder. "You had one job and you screwed it up. If you want to stay a valued member of our crew, then you're going to clean up your own mess."
Axer stared at Stronghorn, looking as if he was about to protest. Instead, he made a disgruntled sound.
"Fair enough." He turned to the Scavengers. "Come along."
"Oh, I don't think so," Stronghorn said, now grinning viciously. "Like I said, this is your mess, Axer. If you were able to single-handedly screw it up, you should be able to fix it on your own."
"What? No!" Axer exclaimed. "You don't understand! I didn't -- they were --"
"Hey, relax," said another Star Seeker, laying a taloned hand on Axer's shoulder. "I know you can't fly, so I'll give you a lift. But after that, you're on your own."
Over Axer's incoherent protests, the other pirate dragged him over to the shattered viewport and lifted off on a pair of turbines. Once they had left, Stronghorn stepped up to address the others.
"Right then, back to business. Ferak, you and Tornado get to work on repairing the ship. Get the drones if you need to. As for everyone else, you're with me. Once we retrieve Cannonball -- dead or alive, doesn't matter -- we're get what we came here for. And if it means razing this scrap pile, then so be it."
The Star Seekers cheered heartily in response. None of the Scavengers joined in.
"Why do I get the feeling we're gonna get the short end of the energon stick out of this mess?" Misfire murmured.
"I'd argue our very existence is on the short end of the stick," Fulcrum commented.
Crankcase grunted. "Join the club."
--Metroplex--
"Sweet Primus, is this ship huge," Spacewarp grumbled to herself as she turned a corner into the nth hallway she had entered so far. "Are you sure you can't map out any escape paths?"
"My tiny old processor can't even begin to make out a diagram of this thing," Foldspace replied. "It feels less like a ship and more like a... city."
City. That word brought Spacewarp to a halt as she pondered over this. She then looked at Foldspace and said, "Didn't you say this ship had a spark?"
"Did I?"
"Yeah. Right before we got captured you said it was alive."
"I say a lot of strange things without knowing it. One time you said I had called Primon my spark-brother."
"Right, but in this case, you actually sounded lucid." Spacewarp rubbed her chin in thought. "If what you had said is true, and this ship is 'alive', so to speak, do you think this might be a Titan?"
"And since when did you suddenly start believing in myths?" Foldspace asked wryly.
"I think you're missing the point. If this is indeed a Titan -- or something like one, at least -- then this would be a greater find than any lousy old trinket. We could tell Omega Trion to stick it up his exhaust with this beauty."
"And how, may I ask, do you expect to bring this thing to Omega Trion?"
Spacewarp chuckled. "That, old friend, is where you come in."
--Outside--
"It's heading for Metroplex!" Ginrai exclaimed as the mysterious ship shot straight overhead and flew towards the Titan.
"I'll handle them," Devcon said, converting to his jet mode. "Don't wait up."
As the others watched him fly off, Flareup nudged Dai Atlas with her elbow. "Trouble incoming," she muttered.
Dai Atlas turned around to see a large crowd of Star Seekers approaching them, carrying the black and gold mech that had fallen from the ship by the arms. Also with them were the Junkions; Wreck-Gar was hurriedly walking up to Dai Atlas and his group.
"Er, sorry to bother you," the Junkion leader said. "But, ah, these fellows, they, uh--"
"You are wasting my time, junk-hoarder!" the black and gold mech bellowed. "Where is the Harbinger?"
Wreck-Gar held up his hand. "Hang on a sec, mate--"
"Don't you 'mate' me!" the pirate snarled, wrenching himself free from the other's hold. "I have spent orbital cycles searching for my quarry and now I've just lost my ship for it! You'd better give me what I want now before I take it for myself and destroy everyone else in the process!"
"Easy now," Wreck-Gar said. "One customer at a time. You'll both get what you want." He flashed a grin. "Conveniently enough, they're both in the same package."
"What do you mean?" Dai Atlas asked.
"That Requiem Blaster you and your fellas are looking for? We found it years ago on this ship that had crashed here. I had no idea what it was, but old Pinion always knows his stuff and identified it. And wouldn't you know? Shearbolt got the name 'Harbinger' out of its databanks. Funny story, I tell you."
"Wait," Cannonball said, deadly quiet. "Did you just say they're looking for the Requiem Blaster?"
Wreck-Gar glanced at him. "I reckon I just did."
Cannonball started to smile, slowly and menacingly. "Funny. So are we."
"You wot, mate? I thought you said you wanted the Harbing--" It finally dawned on Wreck-Gar and his face filled with dread at the realization. "Oh. I see."
As one, both sides drew their weapons. Seeing it unwise to interfere, the Junkions stepped away from the scene.
"I suppose there's only one way to settle this," Cannonball declared. "The old-fashioned way."
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