//------------------------------// // Chapter 72-All or Nothing // Story: Transformers: The Requiem // by JDPrime22 //------------------------------// Soundwave halted his production of Energon cubes when Laserbeak flew onto his shoulder. The last casing of an Energon cube slowly exited Soundwave’s chest, hovering downwards to join the large pile of overflowing empty cube shells. One at a time, each shell was taken from the pile wrapped in a unicorn’s glow and taken to the extraction pods. Each time, the unicorns would stare fearfully up at Soundwave before scurrying off to the extraction pods, empty cube shell in tow. The extraction pods were placed all across the Canterlot gardens. These pods resembled Decepticon War Machines in numerous ways, but instead of displacing Dark Energon, it supplied fresh, healthy Energon only in the areas that were rich with energy. Being a healthy garden receiving plenty of nutrients from the fallen solar goddess’ sunlight, the gardens proved to be an excellent Energon work camp. Of course, a work camp needed workers. That’s what the ponies of Canterlot were for. Slaves, as they were now called by their superior Decepticon leaders, surrounded the extraction pods placed to and fro across the gardens. The ponies that once mingled in the same gardens no longer saw it as a place to share stories of their personal lives and enjoy a nice beverage. No, their mingling now consisted of producing Energon cubes or face the consequences of not working. Those consequences stared them right in the face. The holes scattered across the work camps were not just for the extraction pods to consume the energy hidden beneath the ground. There was no sunlight that day. Dark clouds filled the once-bright skies and filled the ponies’ hearts with dread. All hope had died a few days into the occupation of Canterlot, where Decepticons made their mark and Alliance troopers declared their dominance. All citizens of Canterlot either succumbed to the Alliance law, or faced death. Decepticon Heavy Soldiers lined the work camps making sure ponies didn’t step out of line or tried to escape. Even if some foolish Pegasus managed to dodge their bullets, the pony wouldn’t make it into the city without getting a sniper bullet to the brain. The workers tried their best to avoid the Heavy Soldiers, and they stayed within the boundaries of the camp. Alliance troopers were always present, every second of every day. They never left the camps. They had no reason to, especially with the orders given from Noctune and Shockwave. Alliance troopers were ordered to keep the slaves in check, make sure they didn’t try to step out of line or secretly form an uprising. With that order given, the Alliance troopers were given the right to do whatever they pleased. Gunfire rang out only sometimes within Canterlot. Death was common, rape even more so. The slaves who refused to work, well, that’s what the massive holes in the Canterlot gardens were for. Mass graves. The entire work camp reeked of rotting, burning flesh. Whenever holes would fill up, that’s when it was time to burn the evidence. Decepticons took great pleasure in that part. The ashes of fallen ponies constantly rained down in the work camps, never ending, never halting. No plans of an uprising were whispered or even imagined for that matter. The workers were once prestigious ponies with not a bit of fight in their bones, and they were even less as slaves. That’s why nopony stepped out of line anymore. They witnessed the consequences for themselves. Working conditions were simple enough. Slaves were meant to place the Energon casings within the empty compartments of the extraction pods. It would only take about thirty or so seconds for the entire casing to be filled with rich, blue Energon. Once the cubes were filled to the brim, unicorn slaves would remove them and place them in large piles for Decepticon forces to extract and fly the cubes up to the Nemesis. It was a never-ending cycle of death and torment, a nightmare that went on all day and night. The Decepticons prospered while the slaves of Canterlot suffered, and all the Alliance ponies could do was share in the spoils with their Decepticon partners. But the cycle stopped. It stopped when Soundwave halted his production of Energon casings. It stopped when Laserbeak landed on his shoulder. Soundwave turned towards the direction of the robotic bird to his left. Laserbeak quietly screeched, a message only his master would understand. Soundwave acknowledged and opened up his chest. Transforming and sliding easily into his master’s chest compartment, Laserbeak then began to give his findings directly. The recordings flashed by Soundwave’s optical sensors, his red visor flashing blue again and again for minutes on end. It wasn’t long before his pile of empty casings shrunk to nothing, leaving numerous enslaved at his feet, staring up at him with expressions of confusion and fear. After a certain portion of the recording flashed by Soundwave’s visor…he could’ve expressed the same feelings. The recording ended, and Soundwave’s visor returned to its normal state: red and foreboding. The equine slaves backed away, numerous gasps escaping their jaws when he stared down at them. Soundwave began to speak, his robotic tone sending shivers down their spines. His hand was raised to them. “Cease production,” Soundwave ordered, his voice falling on all the equines waiting to receive more empty casings. The look in their eyes gave Soundwave the idea that they probably thought they were finally going to stop working and actually get the rest they needed. Many of them breathed a breath of relief, setting down the Energon cubes they carried over to their Decepticon superiors. He continued, crushing their hopes. “I have urgent business to attend to within the Nemesis. There will be a five minute resting period, no more. If I do not return within the given time, obey all orders given to you from any soldier.” “If you’re not back, then how the hay are we supposed to make more Energon cubes? You supply us the shells,” one aggravated pony slave asked, his right eye narrowing with his other wrapped in bloody bandages around his head. “Obey all orders given to you from any soldier,” Soundwave replied fiercely. The crowd backed off, frightened from his tone. Soundwave gave them all one last look before turning and walking away. In his path through the work camp, the Communications Officer brought his visor upwards. He tapped his wrist twice, coming to a halt. “Decepticons, this is Soundwave, I require immediate access to the Nemesis bridge at once. Prepare a transport.” He lowered his wrist, his visor staring up into the dark clouds to rest on the Decepticon flagship. It hung over Canterlot castle like a foreboding shadow that would never leave, a darkness that had no repressive light. It hung as a permanent banner to all who dared try to rise up against the Decepticons. In Canterlot, they had that assurance. In Manehattan… Soundwave stood silently, the cries of the enslaved assaulting his hearing processors. It was going to be a while until a ship came to pick him up. He didn’t even mind. The door broke apart into three separate sections, spilling light into the dark room. From his standing position, Soundwave noticed Shockwave on the far right still making the finishing touches on their master. Dead ahead and tangled in chains hung Princess Twilight with her head low. Soundwave made his approach, the door closing behind him. The sound caught the attention of the fallen princess. She slowly lifted up her head, the dried blood on her face and the red veins in her eyes faced Soundwave head-on. She made no indication of fear or acknowledgement of his presence. All Twilight did was hang there, her chest slowly heaving in and out. Soundwave cared not for the equine leader staring at him. He was there to deliver a message. He stopped right behind Shockwave, the Decepticon leader still preoccupied with his work. As if Shockwave hadn’t even noticed him, Soundwave spoke to the back of his leader, his tone giving a sliver of life to the dead room. “Soundwave reporting, Shockwave.” Shockwave reached to his right, plucking a surgical device off of his floating stand. He didn’t even turn to face Soundwave. “I thought I ordered you to supply the slaves with suitable Energon cubes for the work camps. Such a task would last all day,” he stated wearily. Soundwave answered, “Laserbeak has returned from his scouting mission. There has been a great disturbance in Manehattan.” A flurry of sparks danced off of the pre-rendered chest of Galvatron, all actions from Shockwave. With most of his focus on the current task, Shockwave replied but still kept his purple optic locked on his work. “What sort of disturbance would interrupt you from your work, and mine as well?” Soundwave pressed down on the side of his head, his red visor shining bright blue. He said, “It would be much more sufficient for you to see it with your own eye.” The sound of trees shattering and tremendous, predatory roars caught Shockwave’s full attention. Slowly, he began to turn around to face the glowing blue hologram sitting on the floor in front of him. Princess Twilight remained silent, but still managed to keep her tired eyes open long enough to see the holograms play out. At first, all that was displayed was a forest canopy at the very top of a large hill. The next scene was of the forest burning down…and the Dinobots rampaging through the flames. Twilight’s jaw dropped. Shockwave’s surgical device fell from his hand and hit the metal floor. The hologram faded in and out. Twilight, her breath still taken and refusing to return, found the real reason to smile with the next bit of footage she was shown. It was a real, genuine smile, the first she’s had in over a month. For the longest time…it felt so good to smile. Optimus Prime was leading the way, riding the powerful Dinobot commander straight into Manehattan. And then the hologram cut off, leaving hardly any light within the dark chamber. Shockwave stepped forward, his foot slamming down onto the metal floor. He caught the attention of both Soundwave and the imprisoned princess. With his fist clenching and his eye staring into the darkness, all Shockwave could really ask was one thing… “How could this have happened?” he whispered sharply, turning his head towards Soundwave. His words struck the air like needles. Soundwave spoke. “Our forces in Manehattan have lost complete control. The Decepticons stationed in the city have mentioned spotting the rest of the Autobots in Manehattan as well. With the Autobots, the Decepticons also stated that the resistance have announced their presence in the same city, and with them are the-” The door opened with a loud hiss and several clanging noises. All eyes turned to the entrance to witness an erratic Starscream stumble into the chamber, his breath ragged and uncontrolled. His red eyes pierced the shadows covering his body and face, and his voice resounded throughout the compact room. “Shockwave! My Seekers have just received news from our eastern headquarters,” Starscream began, approaching the two Decepticons. He paid no heed to the injured princess hanging behind them and continued. “The Autobots have been found at long last! With them are the princesses and the resistance fighters, dwelling inside of Manehattan like the cowards they are! I suggest a plan of attack right away to wipe them off the face of this planet for good!” He expected a long speech as to why they couldn’t attack, an extremely boring explanation to go with that speech. But to his surprise, Shockwave actually nodded instead of criticizing him. “Then it is time, my Decepticons. It is time to end this conflict and save our world,” Shockwave announced, addressing the first Decepticon to have entered the room after him. “Soundwave, gather all of ground forces within Canterlot and order them to Manehattan. Leave only the Alliance troops to keep the slaves under control. I will announce to our forces throughout Equestria to come together for one final strike, one that’ll end the rebellion festering this world.” It was silent after Soundwave nodded. Shockwave slowly began to turn around, his purple eye landing on the purple pony. Twilight gulped. Shockwave clenched his right fist. “On second thought…Soundwave…I want you to take our little princess over to her cell. We can’t have her interfering. I will deal with our armies within Canterlot.” Soundwave nodded once more, spinning around and approaching the Alicorn. Twilight watched helplessly as Soundwave reached forward with his pointing finger, pressing but one button on Twilight’s far left. The chains around her hooves opened, releasing the princess. However, she still hung about twenty feet above the ground… The Alicorn screamed as she impacted the cold, metal floor with a heavy thump and a sickening crunch to go with it. Her screams increased, tears adding to the pain she felt. Twilight opened her eyes, only to stare in utter horror at her foreleg bent at an odd angle. She looked back and noticed her left hind leg was twisted oddly as well. Fresh blood spewed from the wound, and hidden within the dark crimson…Twilight could see something sticking out, something white but painted in her blood. She grinded her teeth together, shutting her eyes as tight as she possibly could to keep the tears in. It was to no avail. The pain was too much, far too much for anypony to handle. Even in her tears, even in her pain, she felt a large hand wrap around her body, bringing her up off the ground. Through her teary eyes, Twilight managed to catch Soundwave’s face coming into focus. She looked passed him and eyed Shockwave. He pressed his blaster and spoke into its side. Instantly, Shockwave’s voice was amplified tenfold. “Attention, my Decepticons, this is Shockwave speaking. All Decepticons in the Nemesis prepare battle stations. All Decepticons within Canterlot borders return to the Nemesis at once. The Autobots and resistance fighters have been located within Manehattan, our eastern headquarters. This is not a drill. Prepare for battle, my Decepticons, for we are soon to end this war.” Shockwave lowered his blaster and turned to face Starscream. However, he was stopped by a familiar voice creeping up behind him. “You’ll never win.” Both Shockwave and Starscream turned to face the owner of the voice. Soundwave held the princess in his palm, blood dripping from his fist as he slowly moved towards the exit. He only stopped for a few seconds when she spoke to Shockwave. From Soundwave’s fist, bleeding and in pain, the Alicorn gritted her teeth, breathing in rasps of hatred as she glared at the cyclops standing to her side. Shockwave merely stared at her, his tone unchanged and unaffected. Twilight continued, spitting blood at the Decepticon’s feet. “You’ll never win, Shockwave. Optimus is going to stop you.” Shockwave only chuckled. Starscream sneered. “Oh, my dear Twilight…we’ve already won. All we really are going to acquire…are our spoils of war,” Shockwave stated in a matter-of-fact tone, leaning in closer to the small equine struggling in pain within Soundwave’s grip. He reached forward and plucked her chin, forcing her to look up at him and into his eye. He looked into her eyes, slowly shaking his head back and forth. “A real tragedy, it is,” Shockwave mumbled, still facing the aggravated Twilight Sparkle. “Your friends will have no idea what forces await them now that they’ve revealed themselves. Now, all you can be able to do is sit in your cage and watch as we slaughter them. We will kill Princess Celestia, Optimus Prime, and all of your friends…that I can promise.” Twilight narrowed her eyes, tears still rolling down her cheeks. She didn’t back down this time, despite the obvious pain wanting her to give up. She spoke, giving Shockwave a threat straight from her heart and soul. No, not a threat… “I’ll kill you…that I can promise,” she hissed. Not a threat…a promise. “I highly doubt that,” Shockwave told her, backing off and letting Soundwave take her away. He watched from the shadows as Soundwave walked out of the room, leaving only him and Starscream left. Starscream turned back to face his leader. He smirked, offering a weak bow. “Will there be anything else before we set off on our conquest?” he asked. Shockwave nodded. “Travel to Vanhoover at once. Inform Noctune and his Alliance army to set off to Manehattan this very instant. I know how well you are in persuasion, so persuade him to bring his full force. No holding back, it’s all or nothing.” “You know me too well,” Starscream growled with his wicked grin. He jumped, transforming in mid-air. The nose of his jet spun around and his engines burned to life. Shockwave could only watch the Seeker speed through the halls of the Nemesis before disappearing behind one of the many turns. The howls of Starscream’s boosters lit up the dark skies as he streaked across with speeds only seen from the Wonderbolts. The slaves of Canterlot, still dazed and confused with the Decepticon evacuation, turned their attention to the heavens. Starscream flew right over them and out of sight. A low hum resonated throughout the city. Several screams filled the air and all eyes turned towards the direction of the sound. A dark figure began to rise higher and higher into Canterlot airspace, overcoming the occupation it was able to hold. The enslaved already recognized it as the Decepticon flagship. What they didn’t recognize was the smaller ship trailing behind it… The Nemesis began to fly away, hovering over all the heads in Canterlot. Alliance soldiers cheered and hollered as the flagship flew overhead. Canterlot slaves did nothing but stare, their manes flowing wild from the power of the Nemesis’ engines. As it flew past, that’s when all the attention was brought to the second ship. A collective group of gasps filled the work camp. Even the Alliance soldiers didn’t cheer this time. The slaves of Canterlot couldn’t believe the sight of the second ship trailing the Nemesis, not because of the Autobot symbol gracing the underbelly...but because of that symbol transforming into a Decepticon insignia. The insignia of evil.