Backbreaker takes a step back and retracts his mask, taking a deep breath to calm himself. He shouldn’t let Dropkick rile him up.
Never was too good at controlling my temper. That’s what made me fight better back in the pits…
“Alright,” he says to Dropkick. “Now what about the moons, or the colonies? Have the Deceptions taken those, too?”
“We took care of the moon bases… Within the first month… But Megatron hasn’t attempted to go after the colonies… Not yet… He wants to make sure Cybertron won’t fall apart… Without him…”
Dropkick replied. It seemed he was beginning to wear out.
“Should I give him a little energon?” Darksting asked Backbreaker.
Backbreaker nods. “Do it,” he says. “Don’t want him bleeding out.”
Darksting lifted his right leg, and removed the energon drainer. It was about half full. He gave Dropkick a small sip.
Dropkick was momentarily apprehensive about drinking out of someone else’s tail, but if it was either that or starve to death, then he figured there wasn’t much of a choice.
Dropkick took all that Darksting would allow, then looked to Backbreaker.
“Alright, anymore questions?.. Or can I go now?”
The decepticon asked impatiently.
“I’m done,” Backbreaker says. Turning to Timberjack and the other bots around him, he asks: “anybody else got something to ask?”
“How likely is it that Blitzwing will tell Megatron about us?”
Axis asked.
“Tell him what?.. That he got his aft handed to him by a bunch of pests… And a rouge autobot?.. Knowing Bltizwing… he probably won’t say a word… He’ll do anything to hold on to whatever pathetic scraps of dignity he has left…”
Darksting took the drainer and replaced it in his leg.
“Good.” Darksting whispered.
“I suppose I’ll allow you a mercy of one more question from me. Do you shoot every non-Decepticon ship that enters your airspace or were we just unlucky?”
“They were unprepared and thought we would have been starving. I still wouldn’t underestimate the rest to come.” Railgun says.
“Only the ones that don’t call in ahead of time like they’re supposed to… If you had just followed protocol… You’d probably have been just fine.”
Dropkick said with a rasping laugh.
“Good point.”
Nebula said.
“Still, I’m confident. I really feel like we have a good chance with this whole thing.”
“So, uh,” Darksting said, “What are we gonna do with him?”
He gestured to Dropkick.
Maximus thought for a moment.
“I’m not sure. I’ve never taken a prisoner before. Well there was that one time with Saberclaw, but I don’t think ransoming is really an option here.”
He turned to Backbreaker and Timberjack.
@Chromeharpoon @ajtazt
“What do you guys think?”
“Never received that message. Out in the far cosmos, messages take a long time to reach. Should have been more accommodating for it.” Timberjack countered.
“We can’t allow him to go back. And if you want him to live, leave him with the local raiders. They’d probably have more use for him.” Timberjack suggests, obviously meaning the Dust Devils.
The less connection be made between them and the other pirates, the less Dropkick has to work with if he escapes.
“That’s how it always feels at the start, but once the real war begins…” Sheller trails off, looking at what little remains the battle produced. “That might not hold.”
“If we’re lucky, once Megatron is gone the rest surrender again. That’d be nice.” Coverfire says.
“Killing him is definitely off the table.”
Maximus asserted.
“But do you think we could take him with us that far?”
“Slag. I never even thought about that. Or at least, that not happening.”
Nebula replied.
“I figured after we killed Megatron, that would be it. All the other 'cons would just give up.”
“Leaving him here’s a death sentence- so if killing him’s really off the table, then we’ve gotta take him with us,” backbreaker says. “Doc gets him ready to move, disables his weapons, then we leave him with the Dust Devils. If they’re as well-off as you say, I’m sure they can look after him.”
“I guess that’s the best bet we have then.”
Maximus said.
“Lucky me. I get to join your little road trip.”
Dropkick said with a dry sarcastic tone. Very clearly unenthusiastic about the idea.
“That sounds like a good idea to me.” Darksting said. He turned to Maximus. “But what would they do with him?”
“That’d be for Dirtboss to decide. I’m sure she’ll be able to figure something out.”
Maximus replied.
“Don’t get too excited; it’s only temporary,” Backbreaker quips back. “We’re leaving you at our next stop.”