Darkness spread throughout the space. Nobody didn't even dared to set their foot on it; not even a small sparkling would do it as a dare. Only the masters of the night can welcome it, only having a small glow of a light as a passage through the darkness. Alone in the dark, was nothing but a small board, glowing anomalously in the blackened air, small pieces littered around on it's specified squares.

A large clawed servo appeared out in the darkness, moving one piece forward, its red-optic staring at the board intensely with thoughts. It had been many stellar cycles since the fight between the two different sides. One wished for freedom, while the other wish to rule it. It was hopeless and pointless, but the single optic robot didn't mind, he finds it amusing and…logical.

It was simple really, all he had to do was disguise as himself as the weak Autobot and name himself as 'Longarm' and trying to reach up to the higher class to get close to the leader of the Autobot, Magnus Prime. Then when he had gotten his servos on the information he needed, he will change back into his original form by the name of Shockwave, the best spy serving under Lord Megatron himself.

Right now, he's in hiding, away from the prying optics and those meddling Autobots that they had managed to catch Megatron. Shockwave snorted as he moved his ex-secretary (Cliffjumper was it?) diagonally to the left with three. Megatron is smarter than just being caught in the open, the one they caught was nothing but a clone that copied all the data and does just what Megatron would do. Of course, he knew. Why wouldn't he when they were discussing their plan at the Moon with those Protoforms surrounding them?

As far as Shockwave knew or heard from the home planet, the repair crew from the Earth was rewarded for their bravery and the arrest of 'Megatron' and himself. As for his Lord, He is far gone from this space, in hiding as well. Waiting for the right moment to rise and fight again for the next vorn or so. He moved his Lord piece back a space, planning for his Lord as he recovers from the injuries he had inflicted before throwing his clone at the Autobots. Of course, Megatron usually do the planning but this time, he let Shockwave do the planning for he, had learned of both sides and their technology. That means he had time to reflect the past fights and even visiting the dirtball to learn the organics culture.

It was easy much to Shockwave's disappointment, there weren't many technologies that were highly advanced as he thought they were, and he can almost blend in the society by just transforming himself into his automobile mode. But he did enjoy, watching and learning new things that the creatures did. He looked down at the table he was working on. He heard of the organics hardest game, Chess, is the well-passed time of the planning.

Shockwave was interested and decided to make one himself.

The chessboard was carved in thick wood; colors with white and glowing purple, patterns all aligned it self with the tiles. The hardest one he went up with was the things what organics called 'pieces'. As far as Shockwave had learned, rule was simple and yet hard to achieve, take down the opponent's piece and take their king. His own side was easy since he knew that Megatron is the king (the soon to be in the future perhaps) Lugnut and Blitzwing the Knight, himself and Soundwave the Bishop, Blackarachnia and Starscrem's clones are the pawns. The rest were either the pawn or the Rook. He looked at the other side of his board where the Autobots (he almost gagged thankful that he had no mouth.) were rested on.

It wasn't easy to decided whether the Cybertron or Ultra Magnus would be in the position of the king but Shockwave had almost executed the Leader of the Autobots, Leaving nothing but the Cybertron open for his lord to rule. Long story to note; Magnus is the Queen piece. No doubt about it.

But who said that you only need one queen?

With a flick of his claw, he knocked Ultra Magnus down, moving himself to fill the spot where Magnus previously was and looked down at the small figurines of Autobots he had grown to hate.

Autobots were confusing, true, they have all the upper hand on fighting in combat but it was hard to whether to decide if one represents the Knight or a Pawn. Some were easy enough to choose, like Blurr is a Pawn of the Autobots, being sent down to earth to investigate the Repair Crew in the earth and finding the Decepticon activity. Wasp, being accused as a spy, locked away in stockade, only ended up as a techno-organic experiment and disappeared with Blackarachnia.

He knocked both Wasp and Blurr's piece away, replacing the last two spot with Blackarachnia's piece and Skywarp, Only to knock them off the board, replacing them with Optimus and Sentinal.

Shockwave hummed, now leaning back to observe the board in front of him. He can tell that the Autobots were on the lead, since they have those earth-bound bots to help them. Why is it so difficult to defeat them all? Pit, the Decepticons were defeated once, and he doesn't want to lose again. Was it because of Omega Supreme? Or was it the leadership and trust they had each other? Or –dare he say it- Teamwork and hope of each other?

Shockwave sighed as he slid his claws back, dragging his antennas back, his only single optic glowing furiously at the board but kept his claws to himself from destroying the chessboard in front of him.

Taking few clam breaths, he leaned back again observing the board once more. He was losing most of his pieces but he kept many good pieces for the last. His only optic looked down at the repair crew that had solely defeated the leader of the Decepticons. He was surprised really, not even excepting those lower level Autobots to be able to defeat the great lord. They were just the odd group out of the Autobots really; one was an ex-student of the academy, old war veteran medic, an ex-ninja, a Space Bridge genius, and a youngling.

Shockwave looked down at the Autobots' side of pawns, surely there were the main five of the meddling Autuobots but sadly became four since the cyber-ninja did sacrifice his spark to save his 'home'. Shockwave slowly picked up the cyber-ninja piece and looked at it for few seconds before he placed it on the side of the board where the other 'killed' pieces are.

One down.

And four more for picking.

Ironhide, Shockwave mused as he moved Blitzwing forward to the left, is also became a nuisance, now becoming an threat to the glory of the Decepticons. He and his teammates will have to be eliminated soon, especially that Rodimus Prime (he was surprised that he remembered the name of that cursed Prime), but he still has time, and after all it will be too late for the team anyway when he thought up of an ambush plan.

If Shockwave a mouth he would've smirked, as he knocked Ironhide down, placing Lugnut to fill the spot. Hmmm, it's always about ideas, ideas, ideas.

But it was more like locations, locations, and locations.

Space is huge, true. But Shockwave needs to find a way to lure Rodimus Prime and his team to the far place with no contact of the back up. It may be hard, but being Decepticons like Strika or any other, they know any other cosmos back in their processors.

Hm, well that's one planning done, now, for the other.

Magnus is still in repair, well he'll have to fix that he supposed. Maybe he can send one of Soundwave's cassettes down and kill the high ruler of the Autobots. No, that's too quick and too logical, sending a virus will work perhaps?

Well, he'll try that one out later. If it didn't work then he'll go with sending one of cassettes down. Shockwave nodded at that idea for a while.

Now, the hardest part, the earth Autobots team. If Shockwave remembers correctly, Optimus is an ex-student of the Academy, which means that he had a better combat experience than the other young ones in the team. Ratchet knew too much about Decepticons so he need to find the way to kill that ancient old mech, he'd be hard to offline. Then there was that small orange robot (femme he guessed); she was noted as a techno-organic so she had to leave too along with that old medic. And then there were those two 'old friend' that he should have destroyed them long ago.

He looked down again, and paused for some time. He remembered when he was just a scout with other four familiar bots at the Autobot boot camp. It was fun to say at least, playing with bot's processors and their trust; it was almost too easy to say at least.

Shockwave picked up one specific piece from the Autobot side, looking at it with a little glee. Yes, he would love to play again to those little mindless Autobots, but it won't hurt to play with the one of his most favorite pawn that was wrapped around his servos.

Yes, he somehow find Bumblebee useful, a perfect pawn of every plan he would plan on doing, it was fun to say at least, making him believing that Wasp was the spy and after all of those events, he was went to the Stockades. Maybe he can try again.

If he was successful enough, that is.

But imagine, having the yellow Autobot on their side, they would be unstoppable (if possible) and able to get in Cybertron with no problem, able to take hold the planet his Lord wished for many Stellar Cycles.

Shockwave looked at the board with a small hint of glee as the plan started to surface through his processor. It won't be long, he thought as he began to knock down the other Autobot's pieces, leaving no defense to the King.

Yes, it won't be long.

"Checkmate."

Published: Feb. 15th, 2011
Edited: Oct. 28th, 2014