[Audio]

[sparkwhisperer]

Since Megatron had no qualms about making a public statement about me, I think that it is prudent for me to return the favor.

People of the Moira, I come to you today with grave information regarding your beloved Cybertronian comrade, Megatron. It is only fair that you know the type of person that you’ve so readily accepted into your fold.

For those of you who don’t know, my name is Tarn. I used to be one of Megatron’s trusted Lieutenants while he was the proud leader of the Decepticons— A cause that I continue to stand by despite him publicly denouncing it.

Megatron was a glorious leader, bringing the fall of the Grand Imperium of Cybertron and freeing our people from the shackles of a caste-ridden and broken society, built on the backs of others. Megatron brought the Decepticons from an idea to an army, winning Victory after victory in it’s name. However, he quickly realized that the prejudice and injustice that he fought against on Cybertron were prevalent everywhere. We existed in a universe that was implacably anti-mechanical,where organic species wanted to see our race eradicated.

It didn’t take long for Megatron to pinpoint tens of thousands of organic species with the potential to do us harm. And so, he did as he did with the Senate: he destroyed.

Planet after planet fell to the Decepticons, as we set into motion certain infiltration protocols. He crafted a carefully staged process for destabilizing and conquering inhabited planets, containing a total of Six phases-- the final phase being total annihilation of the planets resistance and inhabitance. Megatron had even hand chosen three tremendously powerful Elite Warriors which he named his ‘Phase Sixers’, specially trained to carry out the killing blow. Each of which he trained himself to be as brutally thorough as possible.

Before long, Megatron had formed a collection of planets under his control. An attempt was even made on earth, however, sadly, it failed. He wanted the destruction of the human race just as he did all organic races. It was through him that I learned , and became, everything I am today. Every torture technique, every way to kill a mech…I learned it all from him. And he did nothing but encourage me. I used to make him proud.

The war, of course, had taken its toll on our numbers, and I was placed in charge of a death camp—Grindcore. I was given express orders by him to collect as much sentio metallico as I could from prisoners. Megatron was eager to progress with the troop replenishment program and to do so we needed enough raw material to build a better class off Decepticon Made To Order soldiers. By the time I left Grindcore to become Commander of the Decepticon Justice Division, I had melted down thousands of Autobots on Megatron’s orders.

While these events are something that Megatron has attempted to hide, they are events that were necessary for the growth of the Decepticon Cause. In fact, as Megatron himself once wrote, “My weapon is my burden; a reminder of the path I was forced to take. When the word ‘weapon’ is emptied of meaning; when the purpose of a weapon is impossible to grasp; when the rejection of my weapon is of significance to no one other than myself…only then shall I remove it from my arm."

The road to peace is a hard one, and perhaps not pretty, but essential to reach the ultimate happiness and prosperity of Cyberonian life.

I hope that you will remember this next time you see Megatron around the Moira, playing the part of a weary old mech. Remember what he’s done to further the Cybertronian race, the lives that he’s taken and the planets of organics that he’s destroyed in the name of the Decepticon Constellate.

Perhaps you will now realize that you are being deceived.

Comments

audio

[daintylegs]

[At first Tailgate can't think of anything to say. He listens as Tarn describes one horrible thing after another, and he feels numb as the list grows longer. How awful. He does know some of this, but to hear it out loud makes it seem a lot more real.]

How can you say any of that and then say that it's a road to peace?

I... I don't understand.

[sparkwhisperer]

Sacrifices must be made for the greater good. I'm sorry, Tailgate, but that's how things must be sometimes
[He's not sorry.]

[daintylegs]

You melted people down. For the greater good.

[Excuse him, he's feeling a little sick.]

And Megatron was... ugh.

Why even say all this? The War doesn't have anything to do with Moira or... or the people on it.

not here

[heroicpose]

[ The stuff about Grindcore? He didn't know. He knew it was horrible. He knew Quark died there and Skids had some repressed memories about it. He knew Megatron is horrible too.

Still, hearing that just drives that home.

Rodimus stares at the feed, a ball building in his gut, and he debates answering. No, he's good. Tarn wanted bait. He's not giving it to him. ]

Not Here

[needsnoface]

[Well this is certainly something that would involve that whole mic dropping thing that had been popular about a thousand years ago.

But, such thoughts are irrelevant to saving this file and subsequent conversations in several places as a just in case.]

Audio

[notyoursupergirl]

Called it.

[sparkwhisperer]

You've had your suspicions have you? What was the tip off?

[notyoursupergirl]

Uh, the whole "Hey, that big violent purple guy is someone you should avoid, because he hates organics and will totally kill you in horrible ways, ps I trained him" thing was a pretty big one.

[vengeance_driven]

Man, I am going to play devil's advocate and say that when he warned us, he was warning us about you, but not to be putting himself on a pedestal. But because he does not think this is alright, and you do.. Me, I see this old man go down and save his people once enemies from danger. The same enemies that would fuck him up in a heartbeat if he tried any of this bullshit. And he knows it.

In fact, I helped make sure they got home. I was there for that.

The other Cybertronians here, outside of Megatron, they would not tolerate anything such as this out of him. Or out of you. This is some sick shit but this still does not give you the right to do whatever it is you want, or treat your crewmates as nothing. To say that this is alright is not right, especially when it makes the others of your kind have to justify their right to exist to others.

[Niko lived through ethnic cleansing. Just like everything else on a cosmic scale, this is just a bigger show of something he already knew. He can tell that Tarn's just trying to drag someone else through the mud with him to make what he does just fine.]

[sparkwhisperer]

You seem to think awfully highly of him.

[Tarn makes a mental note to remember this human.]

[vengeance_driven]

I'm thinking that I had to work for people worse than him that killed for a lot worse reasons, and yeah, this is very bad shit. It is a lot like what my homeland went through, not just in my time but in the past. But those guys I had to work for didn't even feel bad for what they did.

And, you know, space whale mishap aside those other guys are pretty capable.

[If only he knew which list he just got put on.]

Audio

[stompadour]

So what, he's a hypocrite.

You should be grateful that he is -- he's the idiot arguing you shouldn't get crushed before you end up putting the rest of the crew in danger.

Re: Audio

[sparkwhisperer]

He's a fool is what he is. I don't need his help, I can fight my own battles.

The Decepticons don't need his weakness.

[stompadour]

Oh yeah? Better hope you can toe the line as well as he thinks you can, then.

[imaginary_wife]

Wait, wait. Hold on.

I need to go find my pearls so I can clutch them and an appropriately placed fainting couch. Then you can repeat all that.

Look neither of you psychos kill anyone on the ship, okay? Okay.

[sparkwhisperer]

I make no promises.

But as long as they stay out of my way, I see no reason too actively seek out members of the crew.

[At least for now.]

[imaginary_wife]

That better not be literally, you're the size of a building. Kind of hard to avoid in a hallway.

audio

[diamondslap]

How strange, I can't imagine what would cause him to just give up after putting in all that effort. It seems rather...

[a pause, while she thinks it over.]

Well, disappointing, I suppose.

Re: audio

[sparkwhisperer]

[Tarn finds it a bit strange that this organic woman would think that.]

I couldn't agree more. I still am rather uncertain as to what caused this rather abrupt about-face on his part.

But, yes, disappointing is the best word that i can find to describe the situation.

Re: audio

[diamondslap]

[it doesn't affect her in any way what so ever, as far as she's aware. they must be doing all this in another galaxy. therefore: no shits given.]

Perhaps with him on board he'd be so gracious to let you know why he just decided to cut and run. This ship isn't really big enough to avoid problems when they're as big as you metallic fellows are.

[please have it out on the next planet so she can watch with popcorn.]

audio

[aminerproblem]

[this is just the tiniest bit embarrassing. especially the part that got to the quotations]

I find the details hold less power over listeners who haven't experienced the war themselves.

Re: audio

[sparkwhisperer]

How convenient of you to think that.

Tell me, Megatron, don't you think that some of these details are things that your crew mates would want to know? Your attempted seige of Earth to add to the Constellate? The millions that have died at your hand?

text;

[whoami]

[ Got to admit, it paints a pretty terrible image of Megatron. Sam doesn't have any direct contact with the guy, but he does have one important question; ]

So this, everything you're describing, and you're describing some horrible things, it all happened in the past, right?

Which is to say this Megatron hasn't killed one of the 'organics' on this ship?

[sparkwhisperer]

To the best of my knowledge, that is correct. But, one can never be too sure of the future, especially when he has already proven to be so mercurial with his beliefs.

NOT HERE

[beautifulspaceraptor]

[Nihlus stares blearily at his MID as Tarn talks

And keeps talking.

He sighs quietly and mentally shuffles Megatron to the 'threat level: too big to do much about' and puts the MID on mute.]