I'll start right off by saying that a lot of this is supposition based on a very limited set of characters who have had almost no interaction with Cybertron during their time on Earth. Even in considering Generation 1, there's limited canonical information to go on, but Beast Wars is even harder to analyze.

Here's a few of the assumptions I'm going to be working from:

1) Cybertronian thought processes and emotional responses are basically human. There's no reason they have to be, logically speaking, but they have been established as such, so I'm going to go with that.

2) Like humans, most Cybertronians don't give a whole lot of thought to their way of life. It just is, and that's enough for them. Thus, only a few individuals in any group are likely to actually behave completely in accordance with their side's ideals. In other words, don't look at Waspinator or Skywarp for examples of what it means to be a Decepticon/Predacon; look at the Megatrons, or at Starscream and Dinobot.

3) When a Cybertronian is born/created, there's only a very simple and basic moral code installed that distinguishes between sides. Subsequent life experience builds on that code, but altering it later in life will have little real effect, at least in the short term. Messing with someone's laser core or spark can only have a gradual, long term effect if not done before birth. The RoboSmasher, which exists in a grey area of continuity anyway, will not be considered for purposes of this essay.

Now, on to the meat of the piece.

The basic difference between the Decepticons and the Predacons (and to an extent, between the Autobots and the Maximals) is that the Decepticons are a faction and the Predacons are followers of a philosophy. In other words, the Decepticons are primarily loyal to the leader and to the cause, while Predacons are primarily loyal to the ideals. This isn't completely an either/or proposition, of course, but a shift in emphasis.

The Decepticons are very much a leader-driven and goal-oriented group. For the vast majority of Decepticons, their identity as Decepticons is created by the fact they follow Megatron (or Galvatron, or Shockwave, or Scorponok, etc.) and seek conquest. Loyalty is very external, very much tied to actions rather than beliefs. You can think what you want, just be sure to follow Megatron's orders. The rank and file Decepticon, even one who gives thought to his role in the faction, tends to leave the philosophy to the leaders. The leaders set the agenda, and the troops follow it, because they trust the leaders to do right by them. Meanwhile, the leaders maintain their power both through personal strength and the ability to deliver the goods. As strong as Megatron is, he'd never last if he couldn't make life better for his troops... or at least keep them convinced that he does.

If you betray the leader, you betray the Decepticons as a whole. Exceptions are made, of course, for those who are actually trying to become the leader, or supporting a bid by someone else to do so. After all, if you succeed, you are the leader, and can't have betrayed the current leader, yes? But only a small segment of the Decepticon population ever takes a shot at the top.

The Predacons, on the other hand, seem to be a looser coalition of like-minded Cybertronians, as evidenced by having a ruling council rather than a single leader. Loyalty is internal, to the ideals and principles of the Predacon Alliance. Each Predacon who gives it serious thought has his own interpretation of what those ideals and principles mean, but they all share a common root. Dinobot has determined that being a Predacon means being strong, yet not necessarily exploiting the weak. He has built up a coherent code of honor that rules his actions and allows him to turn against a leader without turning against the things that make him a Predacon. In the old days, if you left Megatron's side, you left the Decepticons. But despite abandoning his version of Megatron, Dinobot never stopped believing he was still a Predacon. BW Megatron and Tarantulas also have developed personal interpretations of what it means to be a Predacon, based on manipulation and abuse of others, respectively. Three very different ways to behaving, but all Predacons.

The only way to truly betray the Predacons is to abandon the philosophy. Even joining forces with Maximals doesn't qualify as betrayal, unless you also abandon your principles. Of course, you need not betray them to be tossed in jail by them, as Dinobot demonstrated (part of the backstory is that BW Megatron's crew are all escaped criminals). There are crimes short of treason, after all.

The Decepticons still do have some core philosophical tenets, and the Predacons do have a command structure to keep people in line (as evidenced by the secret police of which Tarantulas is a member), but there has been a fundamental shift in how one becomes one of them. The Decepticons are built around personal and factional loyalty -- swear the oath, wear the brand. The Predacons are built around a common set of tenets -- no one but you can decide if you're a Predacon. The brand is merely a convenience of identification, like wearing a small U.S. flag pin on your lapel.

While the Decepticons and Predacons certainly have a lot in common, they are not the same, and the actions of a Predacon should not be judged by Decepticon standards, or vice versa, any more than an Autobot should be judged by Decepticon standards. Oh, you can do it, but you're missing the point, and may draw incorrect conclusions. An action that would be deplorable among Decepticons may be commendable among Predacons, and the opposite may also apply.

Skyfire did betray the Decepticons, despite never believing in the Decepticon Way. He pledged himself to the cause, then abandoned it. As a result, he committed treason; he trashed his oath and betrayed Megatron. Never mind that he was never a follower of the philosophy -- the important thing in those days was to be a follower of the leader. Skyfire may not see it as a betrayal (and, in fact, it isn't a betrayal according to the cause he ended up supporting; it was freeing himself from a web of lies), but the Decepticons would certainly see it that way.

Dinobot did not betray the Predacons, despite spending the last years of his life fighting against Predacons. He never lost his commitment to the Predacon Way. Indeed, when Megatron refused to fight a duel for leadership in the opening episode, he abrogated his position of leadership as far as Dinobot was concerned; he forfeited it. Dinobot served the Predacon ethos by trying to thwart one who he felt had betrayed everyone around him. Some, like Inferno, may see Dinobot's action as betrayal, but the only one whose opinion really counts is Dinobot himself.

Decepticons pledge loyalty.

Predacons keep the faith.

Dave Van Domelen expects a lot of E-mail on this one. Don't disappoint him; send it to dvandom@pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu. And be sure to include Altered States Magazine in your response; send a CC: to asm@skyjammer.com.