Mantisoar, Darkecho, and Fracas have been staying with Blackarachnia and Silverbolt for several days, and Darkecho has been doing his best to get on the couple's good side. He's not without his agenda, and when he finally to gets Blackarachnia alone for conversation, he explains a concern he found when seeking out information on the Beast Wars. Not only, as he explains, was Waspinator left behind and alive on the planet, but there's a distinct possibility that Tarantulas's self-replicating drones have been running without check. The first fact doesn't concern Blackarachnia in the least, but the second gives her pause...enough to consider checking the problem out for herself. The group calls a general meeting, held in a jammed zone in the church, to discuss. Blackarachnia explains the possible quest as it's been detailed to her, and remarks that she will insist on going herself when the expedition is sent. The others are of differing opinions, as Rattrap is in no hurry to leave Cybertron again and doesn't trust Darkecho in the least. Finding Primal first seems to be the greater issue; since the cleanup was part of his error, it's his problem, too. Finally, Mantisoar reminds Blackarachnia of a different but still disturbing issue, the possibility of a nest of Unicron spawn within the Daughters' Organization. Wondering why everything seems to be her problem, the spider promises it will be addressed at the larger council meeting.
Armed with new information from the insiders, Glimmer returns to the Warder base and passes the knowledge on to Ordin Merrick. Knowing that the Maximals won't trust Glimmer as an insider again, he sends the messenger off to the Warders' colonies to carry the news, and scans the Warder recruits for someone the Maximal questing party will be more likely to accept. Merrick now has plenty of questions to bring up at the council meeting, and nothing good. Finally the general meeting is called, with representatives from all of the Organizations in Sector Chromia, Rawhide and Pantora representing the Maximal military base, the involved Maximals from Silicon City, and the Beast Wars veterans. The meeting is presided over by the sector's Maximal Representative, a fuzor named Duskhunter. The appearance of the Autobot is the group's first concern; though Eldred wears a Maximal symbol now, he's plenty willing to reveal his true origins when grilled by the Chromian Predacons. The Maximals insist he's not a major concern, and an agreement is reached that the Predacons in their own military base are most likely wise to the information, however useful it may be. When Merrick brings Unicronian accusations against the Daughters, the response is much more fevered. Rhinox provides the evidence, but the Daughters' representative quite smoothly insists there is no wrong-doing in the group. The meeting is interrupted somewhat by Mantisoar, whose talisman spontaneously activates, and who has a sudden outburst directed at the D. o. T. rep. The Maximals calm him and insist that the matter will be formally investigated, but knowing Maximal procedure, Merrick remarks he'll be doing investigating of his own. When the topic of current Predacon aggression is brought to question, Duskhunter offers to take the issue to the Maximal Council of Elders. However, the Chromian Predacons say they would be all too willing to turn on Swiftsting's sector, and Rawhide's temper shows its face. He insists that declaring war should be his job, not the Elders' job, and after what happened across the border, he would be willing to send in troops today. Finally, both Primal's location and the topic of an Earth expedition are discussed. Under no circumstances will the Maximal government allow a return trip to Earth, but a few of the veterans silently dare them to stop it. With war now declared, the Maximals form a group with a quest of its own to fulfill: find Optimus Primal in the Autobot capital.