Beast Wars Anonymous:

Beast Wars and all related belong to Hasbro. The story, its original contents and ideas, and any original characters belong to the author and cannot be used or reprinted without the author's permission.

Author's note: This story doesn't intend to violate any copyrights held by Hasbro/Kenner or others. Special thanks to Gryph for introducing me to Beast Wars. Payback is a dirty job, but I like it. :) English isn't my first language, so you may encounter grammatical or spelling errors in this story. Comments are welcome.

Aftermath
by Lee C. Highway (birgit_k@muenster.netsurf.de)

When the Beast Wars were finally over and a Maximal scoutship had arrived to pick up the survivors, none of the Axalon's crew, nor any of Megatron's charges, had any idea what would await them. Optimus shot an inquiring look over to Dinobot, who was sitting all alone in a corner of the room they had been assigned to and was deeply engulfed in his own thoughts. Cheetor and Rhinox were still occupying the CR chambers after the Predacons had made a last attempt to escape. If it hadn't been for Dinobot, they might have succeeded, but now they were lying disabled in the prison area of the 'Merv', as the scout ship was named.

Primal suppressed a sigh. He didn't want to trade places with Dinobot now-- telling from what he had heard from the Merv's commander, Predacon High Command had some special plans for Dinobot. And 'special plans' meant nothing good at all, from what Optimus knew about Pred society. He left the room to check if an answer to his request had arrived, though he somehow doubted that the Maximal leaders would agree on allowing a Predacon to join their forces. But this was at least a chance to spare Dinobot whatever ill fate waited for him.

Rattrap had just returned from the radio room and had caught up with the latest news from Cybertron. As it seemed, the Preds were up to something. Maximal High Command had put all forces on full alert after the latest Predacon army movements. The situation was tense and the slightest confrontation could cause an inferno. Rattrap wondered if Optimus knew about this, but then, their fearless leader had had a lengthy conversation with Cybertron.

Rattrap took his seat in the corner opposite from Dinobot, watching for any reaction in his comrade. For a long time nothing happened. At last, Dinobot stopped ignoring the stare and glared back.

"What is it, vermin?" he snarled, but it was lacking the old fire.

"Uh... nuthin' special." Rattrap pondered whether to start one of his verbal fights with Dinobot, then decided against it. "I just wondered what you'll do when we arrive on Cybertron."

Dinobot grimaced. "They question isn't what I am going to do, but what they have in mind."

So that was it. Leatherlips was still afraid of being punished for betraying Megatron. Rattrap smirked. "Okay, then... what do they have in mind for you?"

"After all I did, I'll be lucky if they just open the next trash bin and recycle me into cans." He chuckled at the thought. "But it's more likely that they will delete my memory and personality to make me a mindless slave... or worse."

Rattrap shuddered. "Worse? What can be worse than having your mind wiped?"

"Oh..." Dinobot smiled darkly. "They could put a personality damper chip into my circuits, for example..."

Rattrap's eyes widened. He knew that Dinobot had a strong sense of honor and the options he was facing were anything but honorable. "They won't do that, will they? I mean, I heard stories about the personality damper chips, but..."

For the first time in days, Rattrap heard Dinobot laugh and it scared the hell out of him. "You really don't know much about how Predacon High Command punishes traitors, do you?"

"I do know... I had to witness it during the war often enough. But I thought that was over after the peace treaty. I mean, the damper chip was banished..."

"Officially, yes... but nothing has changed, Rattrap. We Predacons like our traditions." Dinobot waved a dismissive hand when Rattrap wanted to object. "It's over for me. I knew it from the moment the Merv's commander said that Megatron and his gang were to face trial and I was in for a special treatment for helping the Maximals catch him."

"If you'd stay with us... Optimus could use his connections an' get ya with us on the next mission..."

Rattrap knew it was no good. Dinobot had already made his decision-- and he had made it a long time ago.

"I won't run away from this. I'll face their decision like a warrior... and I'll die with honor." He gave a brief chuckle. "Anyway, I'd rather face termination than stay with you voluntarily, rodent."

"You might not have to face Pred High Command's decision." Optimus had entered and overheard the last bit of the conversation.

"Huh?" Rattrap got to his feet. "News from home?"

Optimus nodded. "Predacon High Command has declared war upon the Maximals. There's a full-scale battle going on on Cybertron and it's spreading rapidly. We're currently on the way to rendezvous with a Pred cruiser to hand over all Predacons aboard-- they'll guard us through their territory in exchange. Obviously, they're so interested in the information Megatron has about the planet that they won't blast us out of the skies. And since we have a Maximal escort as well now, they won't dare to attack us afterwards... oh, yes, and this came in for you, Dinobot."

Dinobot said nothing. He studied the data sheet Optimus handed him.

"You were right, Optimus." There was a strange undertone in Dinobot's voice. "I'm not being punished. With the war, they need any Predacon with battle experience they can get a hold of... apparently, someone remembered my name. When we meet the next time, Maximals, it will be as enemies."

He got up and straightened to his full height, then walked out of the room without looking back. At the doorway, he hesitated for a moment and turned around one last time. "Farewell, friends."

When he was gone, Rattrap growled, "I neva' could stand Preds. They're nuthin' but trouble."

"Prime." Optimus was at a loss. He had hoped that everything would turn out good somehow once they were back at Cybertron. Instead, the world had turned upside down on him once more. But life went on-- there was no time to mourn wasted chances.

"We have been assigned to a new ship," Primal informed Rattrap, who startled out of his own thoughts. "A battle cruiser... we have to help our troops in the outskirts until reinforcements arrive."

Rattrap looked into the unhappy face of his commander. "This is sick," he said then. "If we run into Chopperface, we'll have to blast him. Not that I wouldn't like it...." Rattrap added quickly.

"I know," Optimus answered. "I just hope that we never have to face that option... ever."