It would be completely unacceptable for the leader of the Decepticons to give in to emotional weakness, so Megatron made certain never to so much as mention Starscream to anyone. He also removed every trace of Starscream from his life. The empty room in his quarters was a study again, the books were returned to the library, the puzzles were gone. His routine went back to what it had been before heâd ever laid optics on Starscream, and he threw himself into his duties, partly to distract himself and partly to show that he was unaffected by⊠well, by the recent events.
To his relief, that worked. There was always something to be done, always some matter requiring his attention, from the preliminary tests of the triplechanger mode to the ongoing reconstruction of Polyhex, so he was far too busy during the days to think of Starscream.
It was during the nights that his room seemed quiet, and the other side of his berth strangely empty. The phantom scents of ozone and cleanser lingered in the air even after he opened the repaired window to air the place out.
He had not expected to hear from Starscream, since internal comms simply couldnât bridge the vast distance between Vos and Polyhex. Long-range transmissions like those required satellites and communications arrays, and the Presidium of Vos had never used those to communicate with the Decepticons. So it came as a surprise when Soundwave notified him of the urgent request from Starscream, but Megatron quickly grasped the situation. Of course Starscream had hidden the truth and had then been caught out. Perhaps once he became a Decepticon he would learn to lie better. After all, it was highly unlikely that he could do worse.
For now, though, heâd come up with a way that might, just might, reverse his fortunes. Megatron was dubious, mostly about the part where the other Seekers had to believe the worst of Starscream. He didnât think they needed much prompting to do so, but it was only too easy to imagine the other Seekers meting out their own form of vigilante justice as a result.
âThatâs why weâll receive the real transmission shortly afterwards,â Starscream replied. âIâll keep out of everyoneâs way until then. After we hear from the actual Megatron, any condemnation of me or fear of the Decepticons will clearly be caused by the fake transmission and will be treated accordingly.â
Megatron wished he knew a little more about how Seekers thought and behaved, so he would feel more confident about this. He would also have preferred to be there in Vos, on the scene, as opposed to watching everything unfold from a distance. But no, he wouldnât just be watching; heâd be playing an integral part in the scheme. And more to the point, there wasnât time to debate this. Starscream had made it clear that his use of the communications array to contact Darkmount was unauthorized, and if he was caughtâŠ
âVery well,â Megatron said, and Starscream ended the transmission. Megatron sent for Hook, who listened to his orders and responded with an incredulous look that clearly said he suspected Megatron of losing it. But he was a consummate professional, and when he was finished, Megatron thought the end result was realistic enough. He looked like some mech who had seen an image of Megatron and had decided that while the overall design wasnât bad, it could use some enhancement from spikes and a battle mask. And his performance seemed to have been convincing to the other Seekers and to their Presidium liaison.
But after it ended, he sat at the terminal in the command center of Darkmount for some time, staring at the blank screen without seeing it. He had no idea if the rest of Starscreamâs plan would work. If it didnât, if the second transmission was sent out from Darkmount without ever being acknowledged in Vos, he might never know what had happened.
If Starscream never returned to Polyhex, though, whoever was responsible for that would pay.
Hook arrived to remove all traces of the disguise, though even when his optics were back to their normal color, Megatron didnât feel any better. It was only when the second transmission was received and he saw Starscream on the screen that he allowed himself to hope, and after that everything seemed to come as naturally as transforming did. It didnât matter that all this had to be organized swiftly and clandestinely; he was used to giving public speeches, and he was more than accustomed to subterfuge.
Which included his own decision to tell the other Seekers everything about Starscreamâs imprisonment in Altihex. Starscream would never have agreed to that, but there had been no time to discuss it beforehand, and his reaction made the revelation that much more unprompted and authentic. Besides, although Megatron knew he was taking a risk, especially with the image captures, victory would be worth it.
For several cycles afterwards, though, there was no indication as to whether the plan had succeeded. Then Soundwave, monitoring news feeds and receiving reports from foreign informants as usual, reported that a squadron of Seekers had arrived in one of the cities closer to Vos, causing a stir of interest.
A chain locked tightly around Megatronâs chestplate fell away, but he responded with nothing more than a nod and an order to keep him informed. Over the next twelve orns, Soundwave did, since that many Seekers couldnât hope to go unseen, and had to stop for refueling every now and then. There was safety in numbers, though, and Megatron didnât have any concerns for them in that regard. Especially since Soundwave had already sent out notifications that those Seekers were expected in Polyhex, and the Decepticon Army looked forward to their arrival.
And then, early one morning, Soundwave commed him to say that long-range radar had just picked up the Seekersâ approach. Megatron didnât hurry down to the command center, but he was there when Frenzy, seated to one side of Soundwave, accepted an incoming transmission, and a familiar voice crackled over the channel. âStarscream to Darkmount. Requesting permission for thirty-six Seekers to enter Polyhex airspace.â
Megatron tried and failed to hold back a smile. âPermission granted,â he said to Frenzy. âClear it with City Defense, then give them the coordinates to the outer plaza and tell them they can land there.â
Frenzy did so, but Starscreamâs reply was a terse, âAcknowledged, Darkmount. Weâll land when weâre ready.â
When they were ready? What did that mean? Megatron started to ask, and the transmission ended abruptly. Frenzy tried to contact the Seekers again and turned his hands up to show Megatron that the attempt hadnât worked. He stared at the radar screen, wondering what to make of this. It seemed like more of Starscreamâs usual stubborn determination to do what he chose to do, but if the Seekers werenât planning to land, where would they go?
Abruptly he turned and left the command centre. He tapped a foot impatiently in the elevator as it rose to ground level, and then strode out of Darkmount without acknowledging anyone he passed along the way. At that pace, it took only a few breems for him to reach the plaza, but he stopped at the topmost of the wide steps that served as both seating and as a means to reach the plaza floor. Those few breems had been enough time for the Seekers to come into sight.
Windows slid open on buildings and some mechs leaned out for a better look, while others came outside to see. Since the City Defense alarms hadnât sounded, they knew it was safe. The Seekers were still far enough that Megatron couldnât make out individual colors, but the muted growl of their engines was audible now. They stood out against the bright cloudless sky, and they were approaching fast. He shielded his optics with a hand as he gazed at them, and caught a glimpse of purple armor in his peripheral vision as Shockwave came to join him.
The Seekers flew in a wedge-shaped formation, straight over the rebuilt gates of Polyhex. On the tops of buildings, mechs now crowded to watch them, and Megatron realized the Seekers were crowding too, those in the lead slowing as the rest increased their speed to fly closer and closer together. Suddenly the Seekersâ formation split apart. Planes peeled off in all directions, a knot unfurling. Seekers streaked off overhead, slicing white lines into the airspace over Polyhex in a starburst that covered the sky.
Then each of them tilted on the axis of wings, leaning into precise turns that sent them roaring back to recreate their formation. This time they formed two wedges instead, and those blazed off in opposite directions, mirror images of each other.
âFlaunting themselves,â Shockwave said.
âAnd doing a good job of it,â Megatron murmured as the two groups soared away from each other. As one, they turned as theyâd done before, flying back as if to remake their original formation. Starscream was in the lead of one, and in the same klik that Megatron recognized him, he realized that the two formations of Seekers were on a collision course.
Deep inside his chest, something lurched as though internal components had jolted of their own accord. The Seekers arrowed at each other fast as two hands coming together to clap. And they slid past each other, each formation weaving through the other as though they had no solidity at all. Their speed tore wingtip vortices into shredded air, but the two wedges of planes shot away with no Seeker touching another.
The gasps and exclamations of fascination all around Megatron were barely audible over the roar of engines as the Seekers swept into another set of aerial maneuvers, one formation flying in wide loops as the rest of the planes chased each other through the circles. They flipped and rolled, twirled and spun, tumbled and corkscrewed. They stalled and plummeted, only to recover without apparent effort and pull out of the dive before soaring up again. Megatron had never seen anything like it.
âSir,â Shockwave said, âshould we disperse the audience?â
Megatron knew why Shockwave had made that suggestion. What looked like a significant amount of the population of Polyhex was now out on the streets or on the roofs of buildings, standing shoulder to shoulder to watch the Seekers. He didnât grudge them the display, but he also realized that this was a maneuver on Starscreamâs part, as calculated as the aerial acrobatics. The Seekers werenât coming to Polyhex as ordinary soldiers, let alone as foreigners who would be paid less than other Decepticons for now. They were establishing themselves as an aerial elite from the start. No one who saw this performance would ever forget it, and the open admiration might well translate into support for the Seekers later.
But he could imagine what would happen if he ordered everyone to return to their duties immediately. They would obey. They knew better than to do anything else. How the Seekers might respond if they were deprived of an audience, though, was less clear. They might step up their game, swooping under the overpasses of the Carousel or playing lethal games of thread-the-needle with the archways. And they might think heâd found them so intimidatingly impressive that he had to hustle the citizens of Polyhex away before their heads were turned by the sight.
âNo,â he said. âLet them watch.â It was a relief, though, that the Seekers wrapped their show up a few breems later. From all around the sky above Darkmount, they came together over the plaza and plunged down, deploying their flaps to cut the neckbreaking speed before they somersaulted into their transformation sequences and landed on their feet in the plaza. All the mechs crowding the edges of it had scrambled back to make plenty of room for them, but Megatron stayed where he was. Starscream had landed only two steps below. He straightened a little to give Megatron that slight half-smile he remembered so well before going to one knee.
âLord Megatron,â he said, respectful for once, and the other Seekers knelt as well. At least heâd learned how to behave in public, Megatron thought. He managed not to smile back, because it wouldnât do to appear relieved or even too welcoming, but he couldnât suppress the warmth that glowed inside his chest and spread out to fill the rest of his frame.
âWelcome to Polyhex,â he said. âAll of you.â
***
It was nearly sunset when Starscream saw the plaza again, and he barely recognized the place as the same one in which heâd landed that morning. The floor had been elevated so it was now midway up the tiers of benches, and the plaza was ringed with banners sporting the Decepticon sigil. Spotlights surrounded it as well, and to one side was a huge stage on which a band called Golden Bullet was preparing to play, while the opposite side of the plaza had been lowered to form a long ramp, presumably so grounders could drive in easily.
Not that there were many grounders, which made it easy for him to notice who else wasnât there. After the Seekersâ official acceptance into the Decepticon Army and their insignia ceremony, Megatron had told him there would be a big celebration for the occasion later, but Megatron was nowhere in sight now. Seekers milled about on the lifted plaza floor as the spotlights came on. To Starscreamâs relief, there were no speeches. One of the musicians in the band simply thanked them all for coming, said they were excited to entertain Seekers, and hoped that they enjoyed the show.
Then the music began, and although the songs were completely unfamiliar, the beats were catchy and the mood of euphoria in the air was infectious. Starscream went to get some energon from a dispensing station set up on the topmost bench, not because his fuel levels were particularly low but because heâd also realized that Megatron wasnât the only one missing from the party. Neither Shockwave nor Soundwave were there either, though Laserbeak and Buzzsaw were perched on high rails near Airachnid and some other Decepticon heliformers, watching the show, while Frenzy and Rumble were collecting energon from the dispensing station. Even Soundwaveâs emotional support panther was probably lurking in the shadows somewhere.
Starscream could happily have lived the rest of his life without ever laying optics on Soundwave again, and there was no love lost between him and Shockwave either, so it wasnât as though the celebration was missing anything without them. But the fact that no higher-ranking Decepticons were there was a sign. Not that it meant Seekers werenât actually welcome there. If that had been the case, the celebration would have been less lavish, and Starscream credited Megatron with more sense than to treat his most recent recruits as second-class citizens in Polyhex as well.
What it did mean, Starscream suspected, was that the upper echelons of the Decepticon Army didnât mingle with the lower ranks on social occasions. And that was something he had to keep in mind if he wanted to be accepted into the high command some day.
Oh, he was pleased about being a squadron leader. It was a respectable position in the army, and the official nature of the rank was more formal recognition than he would ever have been given in Vos. But it wasnât enough. He remembered how Megatron had once asked sarcastically if Starscream thought of himself as one of the advisors to the Decepticon supreme commander, and now Starscream answered silently, Not yet. That was what he had to have, though. The ability to stand on an equal footing with Megatronâs other lieutenants, to speak in strategy meetings and be listened to by everyone. The power to influence Megatron himself and shape the world to his own will in the process.
Of course, he could talk to Megatron even now, but it would look much better if Megatron made changes suggested by one of the advisors who were part of his inner circle, rather than changes suggested by the squadron leader he happened to be interfacing with. Starscream knew exactly what the optics of that would be. And he didnât intend to give up his relationship with Megatron, complicated though that might be, any more than heâd shelve his plans for the future.
So. He would finish his energon and then he would find Megatron to discuss how theyâd take the next step in his plan⊠no, their plan. Yes, that sounded better.
He took a sip of his energon and looked around to make sure nothing was happening that he couldnât miss. Nearby, Rumble had climbed up on to the rail which ran the perimeter of the plaza, just beyond the uppermost step. It was just wide enough for him to stand on. Starscream watched out of the corners of his optics, not wanting to show any interest in what the little fragger was doing, but after leaning down to take one of the cubes Frenzy was holding, Rumble did a precarious tiptoeing walk along the rail, heading away from Starscream and towards the group of Decepticon choppers.
They noticed him and stopped talking among themselves as he approached, and Starscream saw the entire purpose of standing on the rail. It put Rumble at optic level with the heliformers, and he held out the cube.
âHey, Airachnid,â he said. âWant some energon? Top grade, of course!â
Airachnid stared at him as she brought two of her upper limbs together, claws making metallic clicks as they interlocked. âYou know I shred little mechs like you into scrap?â
Rumble grinned. âYou know what Soundwave would do to you if you tried?â
Starscream moved away, partly to get clear of the odious flirting and partly because he never wanted to be reminded of what Soundwave could do. He found a bench, sat down, and finished his energon in peace.
Secretly he felt little relieved for the rest, because it had been a long and tiring day. After the flight to Polyhex and the air show, they had all needed to wash and get waxed up, as well touch up any paint that had been scraped or scratched during their journey. There had been just enough time for Starscream to give them all a quick inspection before theyâd been escorted to a large hall in Darkmount to swear allegiance to Megatron and have the Decepticon insignia applied to their wings. Still a little uncomfortable about anything being done to his wings, Starscream had braced himself for that, but it hadnât hurt, and strangely, he liked the feeling the emblem gave himâa sense of belonging, of being a part of something enduring and extraordinary. Best never to admit that to Megatron, though, Starscream thought with a small private smile. Megatron was more than proud enough of the Decepticon Army already.
In the middle of a song, the spotlights dimmed. Seekers stopped dancing, and within kliks, all the lights were off. The band continued to play, so this was clearly planned, but Starscream had no idea what was happening. All he could see were the red points of optics all around, the glow even brighter now in the darkness.
His comm opened. âDâyou know whatâs going on?â Skywarp asked, though Starscream could barely hear him over the thrum as what sounded like all the Decepticon heliformers took off at once. And beneath that sound was the deep growl of multiple engines approaching. Starscream guessed several grounders were rolling up the ramp towards the floor.
For the first time since heâd returned to Polyhex, he felt uneasy. Whoever the new arrivals were, what were they doing? The music continued, but the other Seekers had heard the grounders as well, and had all backed away. It took an effort for Starscream not to prime his null rays, and the only reason he didnât was the sight of the red pinpoints near the ramp, Decepticon optics alight as the grounders transformed.
The whir and clank of components rearranging themselves didnât stop, though. Heavy clangs rang out and there was a metallic rattle as well, like chain links sliding over each other. Starscream wished his vision included the ability to see infrared, but the heliformers seemed to know what was going on, because they headed towards whatever was happening, rotor blades whipping the air.
In the next klik, all the spotlights snapped on again, and every helicopter directed a searchlight onto what stood just before the ramp. It towered over all the Seekers, a massive green and purple titan with parts of construction vehicles showing here and there on its bodyâa mixing-drum on a leg, a bulldozer blade on an arm. As though it had absorbed several different mechs somehow, Starscream thought, as stunned by the bizarre appearance as he was by the sheer size of it. Even a Seeker might find it difficult to take down such a⊠thing.
âThatâs Devastator, sir,â one of the mechs manning the energon station told him as the music swelled up into a crescendo. The performance had clearly been intended to impress the Seekers with what the Decepticons could do, so Starscream nodded his thanks for the information and tried to look as if he saw colossal mechs all the time. At least the plaza was large enough to accommodate Devastator, though when he swayed in some sort of dance attempt and brought one massive toothed-shovel foot down, Starscream felt the vibrations under his bench.
His fuel level was fine by then, though, his systems humming from the effects of the energon, so it seemed a good time to take his leave. âYou two enjoy yourselves,â he said over the channel. âIâm off.â
âIs he expecting you?â Thundercracker asked.
Skywarp snickered. âThe âfacing must be really something if youâre heading back there already.â
âI need to talk to him,â Starscream said in his most unamused tone. âAbout Vos,â he added, to head off jokes about exchanging sweet nothings in the berth. Thankfully his wingmates just wished him a good time and dropped the matter, so, leaving them to their celebration, Starscream transformed and flew to Darkmount.â
It was so late that all the overhead lights were on in the common hall, shining off the armor of the Seekers who crowded it. Thundercracker would have had to stand if his wingmates hadnât arrived early and saved a seat for him on one of the benches. He guessed that everyone except the night patrols had answered the summonsâas they had to, since if such an announcement was made in the middle of the night, that could only mean an emergency of some kind.
Sure enough, even though a few of the Seekers were clearly tired, and an undercurrent of grumbling was audible, most of them were alert and waiting. All optics went to the doors as they slid open and Farsight entered.
Two of the Presidium guards flanked him, keeping pace as he went to the centre of the floor. One of the guards stayed at his side after that, but the other went to the huge vidscreen which the Presidium used when they wanted to address the Seekers without actually having to be there in person. Before anyone could ask what was going on, though, Farsight spoke.
âIâm sure weâve all heard the rumors going around that Starscream has been even more dishonest with us than we suspected,â he said. He didnât look in Starscreamâs direction. âWell, there needs to be an end to this. We cannot continue tolerating such divisive and frankly dangerous elements in our midst. So I decided to find out, once and for all, what Starscream actually did in Polyhex⊠and whatâs likely to happen as a result.â
The guard turned the screen on, and a dazzle of static swiftly resolved itself into Megatronâs face. He looked as though heâd been unceremoniously ousted from his recharge for this as well, Thundercracker thought.
âMegatron,â Farsight said. âSo good of you to join us.â
Megatronâs optics narrowed to slivers of hotly glowing purple.
âExcuse me,â Farsight said quickly. âLord Megatron.â
Megatronâs lip curled. He leaned forward so abruptly that Thundercracker nearly flinched, because the rage in Megatronâs face was evident, all but radiating through the screen. Light gleamed off the line of curved spikes on his helm.
âI donât care whether or not you fawn at my feet,â he replied. âBut I had hoped that the next time I laid optics on that piece of slag, it would happen a klik before I tore out his spark.â
Farsight let a moment pass after that in complete silence, evidently wanting everyone to process what had just been said. âAre you referring to Starscream?â
âAre you normally this slow on the uptake?â
âHe told us he was trying to recruit Seekers to join the Decepticon Army.â
Megatron looked incredulous. âAnd you believed him?â
âNo, of course not. Heâs been lying to us for so long that we canât trust any of his claims.â
âThat doesnât surprise me at all.â Megatronâs voice rang out through the stunned hush in the hall. âStarscream lied to me as well, so he could use all he could of the Decepticon Armyâs resources for his personal gain. We discovered the extent of his manipulation and betrayal, but by then Starscream was the direct cause of a battle which caused significant damage to my city. He fled Polyhex, but he will not escape justice for long.â
He leaned back in his chair, and the two halves of a battle mask snapped together over his face, their crenellated edges locking into place. It was as sure a sign as any that the time for talk was over. âI intend to make that coward pay for what he did.â The tenor of his voice was quieter now, slightly muffled by the mask, but that only concentrated the danger in it to a cold, vicious point. âAnd any place which shelters him, any mech who protects him, will be destroyed along with him.â
The screen went dark.
No one in the hall moved. Thundercracker wanted to look around to gauge the reaction to that, but all his instincts screamed that the slightest twitch would set things off, would be like a flame to dynamite. No one said anything either, and even Starscream didnât seem eager to start in that regard.
Then Farsight turned slowly and looked at Starscream for the first time since he had entered the hall. âTake him into custody,â he snapped.
His guards started forward, but that brought Starscream to his feet at once. Around the three of them other Seekers began to shift away and move back, but Starscream ignored that and spoke to Farsight with all his usual self-assurance.
âCustody?â he said. âWhat exactly is that supposed to mean?â
âIt means youâre under arrest.â Farsight made an impatient gesture to the guards, who had paused when Starscream got to his feet, and they started forward again.
âFor what crime?â Starscream said sharply. âUnder the laws of Vos, what crime have I committed?â He glanced at the guards. âTouch me or either of my wingmates, and youâll regret it.â
âOh, bring it on,â Skywarp said over their private channel, and bolted up to his feet. Thundercracker did the same. The guards stopped, and from their expressions, he knew they were taking in the fact that they were not only outnumbered, but they were facing Seekers who were not only taller and faster than they were, but who were armed and warbuild into the bargain. And who had abilities they didnât.
Farsight seemed to have realized that as well. He took a quick sideways glance at the other Seekers as though speculating on whether he could order them to throw Starscream into a jail cell, and for a moment Thundercracker felt as though they were all poised on a knifeâs edge.
But when Farsight didnât give that order, Thundercracker knew heâd seen that that a battle breaking out in the common hall when he stood in its center might well damage him too. And Farsight was also aware that Starscream did have the letter of the law on his side, if not the spirit of it. Citizens of Vos couldnât be dragged off in shackles simply because some stranger in a foreign city claimed theyâd committed crimes there, and if the matter was brought before a tribunal, it probably wouldnât help Farsightâs case that said stranger belonged to a faction which featured dishonesty in its name.
âVery well,â Farsight said, and beckoned his guards back. âI will have the Presidium order that you be evicted from this place and banished from Vos. And if your wingmates are so willing to go down in flames with you, they can keep you company outside our walls until the Decepticons hunt the three of you down.â
âYou do that,â Starscream told him. âBut until thereâs an official order of exile, Iâm not going anywhere.â
Farsight didnât bother to reply to that, only turned and left the hall, his guards following. The instant the doors had closed behind him, a tumult of angry shouts broke out, demands for answers and explanations. Starscream ignored them all and went to the doors in a steady unhurried stride.
On all sides, Seekers drew back from him as though he was radioactive. Skywarp pulled the doors open, and Thundercracker had never been more relieved that they were leaving. The atmosphere in the common hall was thick with tension and rising anger. Some of the shouts behind them had turned to insults, but if Starscream could take no notice of those, then Thundercracker wasnât going toâ
Something whirred through the air and hit Starscream with a sharp clang.
He whipped around, optics blazing. The makeshift projectile, a bit of scrap metal, clattered away across the floor, but even faster, with the speed of sheer reflex, Starscreamâs arm came up. Thundercracker wasnât close enough to stop him, but Skywarp was. He grabbed Starscreamâs elbow and forced it down. Thundercracker caught Starscreamâs other arm and hustled him out through the doors before anything worse could happen.
Starscream pulled away as soon as the doors were shut again, not that Thundercracker would continue trying to restrain him. âAnd they called me a coward?â he said bitterly. âAt least I never tried to harm anyone whose back was turned to me.â
âExcept Megatron, I guess,â Skywarp said with all his usual tact, and took a quick backwards step when Starscream turned to glare at him. âUh, lemme check your back. See if thereâs any damage.â He put himself behind Starscream at once, probably figuring that was the safest place to be.
âDoes it hurt?â Thundercracker asked.
âNo, Iâm fine,â Starscream said brusquely, as Thundercracker had known he would. Typical Starscream.
âThereâs a scratch near the base of your wing,â Skywarp said, and reached out. Thundercracker couldnât see him touch it, but Starscreamâs optics flickered and there was a slight hitch in his ventilations before he recovered control. âBut your self-repairs should take care of it.â
âWhatever,â Starscream said. âLetâs get out of here before anyone comes after us, because weâll need a lot more than self-repairs if that happens. It wonât be long now.â
***
It was the longest night Thundercracker had ever known. He couldnât recharge, partly because he kept waiting for the announcement and partly because he was afraid that if he did let himself slip online, he might never see another sunrise. Being loathed by every other Seeker except for his wingmates was a new and extremely unsettling experience. On top of that, his fuel level was hovering in the yellow zone, even though he was far too tense to register the physical effects of that.
The door to their room was locked, and Thundercracker had shoved a berth to block it, When heâd met Dirge earlier for an update on the situation, heâd been warned that Starscream was likely to âdisappearâ permanently, and if that happened in the middle of the night, it would be easy for everyone to believe that heâd slunk away in disgrace. Only too aware of how much danger they were now in, the three of them could do nothing but wait. Skywarp usually fidgeted under such circumstances, but now even he was so completely still that he might have been offline except for a glow deep in his optics.
The silence was so intense that when Thundercrackerâs holding tank rumbled, it seemed unnaturally loud. He would have liked to pretend it hadnât happened, so naturally Skywarp pointed it out and asked how low he was running. Starscream reached under his berth where he kept the few books heâd spent all his spare money on. He brought out two cubes of energon, and at that, a pang went twisting all the way through Thundercrackerâs internals.
âHere,â Starscream said. âGet refueled while you can.â
âWhat about you?â Thundercracker asked.
Starscream made a dismissive sound that suggested he was far above petty considerations like fuel, and settled back down on his berth. Thundercracker wondered what heâd traded for the fuel. Was that why he wasnât reading anything?
Skywarp had already helped himself, though, so Thundercracker took his cube a little guiltily. Still, the energy spreading through his depleted systems felt too good for him to really object, and the timing couldnât have been better, because a few minutes later, the overhead intercom came on. âAll Seekers, assemble in the common hall for an emergency meeting, immediately.â
It was Ramjetâs voice, and despite the words, his tone was calm and matter-of-fact. He had agreed to make the announcement, since they all knew that if it had been Starscream making that announcement, half the Seekers wouldnât show up, while the other half would arrive with cluster bombs. Skywarp popped to his feet and helped Thundercracker shove the berth aside so they could leave. He was trying to suppress a smile as he did so, but Starscream saw that.
âEnjoying yourself, are you?â he said dryly.
âDonât tell me youâre not looking forward to it as well,â Skywarp said, and vanished. Starscream said nothing more, but there was a new swiftness to his usual stride as he led the way to the common hall. It was almost dawn, Thundercracker realized. The longest night of his life was nearly over.
***
The moment Starscream stepped into the common hall, he felt as though a target had been painted on his chestplate. From all sides, there were hostile stares from Seekers, and he could tell it wouldnât take much to set them off. Farsight was there as well, standing as close as possible to the open space on the floor without being on it, and perhaps hoping heâd have a ringside view to Starscream being deactivated for spare parts. This time he had brought eight guards. But he could have arrived with an entire army and it wouldnât have mattered.
âWhat is all this about?â he demanded.
âYouâre going to find out,â Starscream said, and as if on cue, Skywarp appeared in a flash of light next to the vidscreen. He turned it on, and the screen flickered, but nothing else appeared.
Farsight snorted. âMore lies and manipulation on your part.â He turned to Ramjet, and a speculative tone stole into his voice. âBut you were the one who convened this gathering. Why is that, I wonder? Have you been on this traitorâs side all along?â
Ramjet looked uncomfortable, but wisely said nothing, and Starscream cut in. âI have the right to clear my name when Iâve been accused of a serious crime, and thatâs going to happen right now.â
âNothing has happened,â Farsight declared. âAnd nothing will. So you have ten seconds to stop wasting our time, beginning now.â
The screen continued to flicker uselessly. For an icy, paralyzing moment Starscream thought his arrangement with Blacktalon had fallen through, and then the static disappeared. The image on the screen was Megatronâs, and something stirred deep inside Starscreamâs chest, a reaction that wasnât the same as the relief which filled him.
âStarscream,â Megatron said. Thundercracker and Skywarp left the floor to give everyone a better view, taking their usual places on either side of Starscream as some of the other Seekers moved to get a better look. Murmurs throughout the hall told Starscream that everyone had noticed that this wasnât the same mech as the one who they had seen before. Even Megatronâs voice was different now, a deep baritone that made Starscream twitch before he regained his usual self-control.
âMegatron,â he said as if they saw each other every day. âWhat did you think of the recording I sent you?â
âThe one with some imposter masquerading as me?â Megatron snorted. âIâve seen much better efforts. Incidentally, who was responsible for it?â
âIf you donât mind, Iâll tell you later,â Starscream said. âFor now, I think the record needs to be set straight, and it would be best if we heard about it from you rather than myself. I donât think many Seekers here trust me now, anyway.â
âThat doesn't surprise me in the least. I expect you did here what you did in Polyhex?â
âWhat did he do in Polyhex?â Archon called out.
âWhere do I start?â Megatron replied. âHe refused to tell me why he'd been imprisoned in Altihex, and why he was desperate to return there despite everything they had done to him. He played a lone hand when it would have benefited both him and us to make common cause, and only confessed the truth to me when it was almost too late.â
Starscream tried to interject, but Megatron seemed to be warming to his theme and simply talked over him. âThat is your worst fault, Starscream. You always try to deal with problems alone, no matter how difficult or dangerous they are. No wonder other mechs see you as standoffish and arrogant, if you refuse to bring them on board with your plans or confide in them when necessary. And when this reckless lone-wolf approach fails and you find yourself in over your headââ
âOkay, can we stop the psychoanalytic report?â Starscream hadnât expected that he was going to be berated like this. Clearly Megatron was relishing the opportunity to get everything off his chestplate, and what was even more annoying, all the other Seekers seemed to be greatly enjoying it. Acid Storm managed to stop chuckling long enough to say that he could stand to hear more, and there was a loud chorus of agreement on all sides.
âQuiet,â Megatron said. He didnât hold up a hand, as Farsight would have done, or even speak loudly, but everyone hushed as though he had thrown a switch. âI suppose you thought you'd find it easier to pretend none of that had ever happened once there were several thousand mechanomiles between you and Altihex?â
âNone of what had ever happened?â Snowspray asked, though he did so in a subdued voice as though hoping Megatron wouldnât notice who had asked that question. Megatron leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers.
âWhen Starscream arrived in Altihex as one of the explorers sent out from Vos, a minister in Altihex gave him drugged energon,â he said. âOnce he was offline, they used the opportunity to remove his guns and comm before imprisoning him. After that he was subjected to prolonged ill-treatment which only ended when the minister owed the Decepticons a debt and felt the gift of a Seeker, even one tortured to the point where he couldn't fly, might pay it off.â
The silence after he said that made Starscream feel as though the hall was filled with spun glass, something which would break with the slightest sound. Farsightâs voice sounded unnaturally loud when he spoke.
âDid he tell you they tortured him?â he asked, skepticism evident in his tone.
âOf course not,â Megatron replied. âHe was too proud to admit anything. Still is, I take it. But I saw his medical reports.â
âI'd want to see those too, before I believed any of this.â
âMedical records are confidential.â
Farsight scoffed. âWhy am I not surprised?â
âPerhaps itâs because you havenât yet seen a holding cell or an interrogation room in Altihex,â Megatron said mildly, âthough my reaction to those went a little beyond surprise. This was where Starscream was held for over thirty cycles, and this was where they tried to force him to cooperate.â
His face on the screen was gone at once, replaced by an image capture, stark and bleak, a visual of the cell under the Altihex arena. Before Starscream could recover, before he could even think, a far worse image appeared. He saw the interrogation room he had been taken to, over and over again. Light flashed over each of the instruments and devices in it, illuminating them in hideous detail, focusing on them in close-ups until he could see nothing else. Until there was nothing else in the world, only that room and the dread that rose up in him like choking smoke.
No, not this, not now! But the reaction was as powerful as it was involuntary. He heard the hitch in his ventilations, but it was the last sound he registered before a dull roar in his audials smothered everything else. Suddenly his visual field turned red with warnings as his ventilation system stalled, his mind going blank with a terror so deep that it seemed to swallow him up.
A solid weight pressed down on his shoulder, just beside the vent. There was something familiar about it, and for a moment Starscream wavered, caught on a knife-edge. Then his vents hitched again. The gasp of air wasnât much, but it kept his internal combustion from stalling just long enough for him to realize that Thundercrackerâs hand was on his shoulder, strong and warm and reassuring.
The tightness in Starscreamâs throat and chest, the steel vises being twisted shut around him, began to ease. He wasnât alone any more. He had his wingmates, and as his auditory system restabilized, the first thing he heard was the deep steady voice which he knew better than his own. He had Megatron too, and Megatron had continued talking throughout, keeping the attention on himself rather than Starscream. No one even seemed to hear Starscreamâs vents working rapidly and his internal fans whirring; they were all too intent on what Megatron had just shown them.
âWhat kind of cooperation did they want?â someone called out.
âIâm okay,â Starscream murmured under his breath, and with a squeeze to his shoulder, Thundercracker let go. Megatron started to answer the question, but Farsight interrupted, raising his voice to be heard.
âThose images could have come from anywhere!â he snapped. âFor all we know, thoseâthose things are what your own faction uses on captured Autobots.â
âNo, we have far more effective methods,â Megatron said calmly. âOne of my lieutenants is a telepath.â He smiled. âDonât bother challenging him to read your mind to prove it, because Iâm sure you wouldnât want your secrets revealed in front of a crowd of powerful warriors youâve treated like second-class citizens. Would you?â Farsight didnât seem to know how to reply to that, and Megatron went on. âI didnât think so.â
âWhat sort of cooperation did they want from Starscream?â Riposte asked.
âHis wingmate Skywarp had previously come to Altihex to get repairs, and while those were being carried out, the medics discovered he could teleport. Under orders from Vantage, the late chief minister of Altihex, they kept Skywarp in forced stasis so they could replicate the hardware for his warp drive, but that would merely be the worldâs most expensive footrest unless they got the software as well. Except Skywarp would never have given it to them, not unless someone persuaded him to do it.â
Everyone turned to look at Starscream, and it was an immeasurable relief that he felt almost normal again. âThat was what they wanted from you?â Archon asked.
âOf course it was,â Megatron replied before Starscream could say a word. âNeedless to say, Starscream was just as close-mouthed and stubborn with them as he was with meâand clearly with the rest of you as well. He seems to make a habit of it. So they resorted to everything they could think of, from forced drug dependency to whips to blowtorches, and finally they handed Starscream over to me like a piece of substandard trade goods because they didnât know what else to do with him.â He leaned forward, his voice quieter but far more intense. âAnd because he refused to sell out his wingmate. All that, because he wouldnât betray his wingmate.â
No one seemed to know what to say now. Megatron paused, drawing the silence out before he went on. âThat is why I want him in my army. Not because of his aerial skills, superlative though those are. All of you can fly. But resisting torture out of sheer loyalty to his wingmate? Oh yes, Iâll take that. A Seeker like him will rise very high in the Decepticon Army.â
Ghostwing reset his vocalizer with a click before he said, âStarscream told us he was trying to recruit Seekers for your cause. If thatâs true, why didnât you send anything with him, like an official document?â
âWhy would I need to?â Megatron asked. âIf a fellow Seeker, someone who I presume youâve known for all your lives, wasnât able to convince you, why would some words from a stranger make a difference? The only reason Iâm speaking to you now is because I saw a recording where some idiot tried to pass himself off as me. Probably capitalizing on the fact that Polyhex is so far from Vos that very few Seekers have met me in person, so most of you would fall for the trick.â
âAnd how do we know this isnât a similar trick?â Farsight demanded. He sounded desperate to recover lost ground. âWhat if the first transmission we saw was the accurate one?â
Megatron turned to look at someone outside of the screenâs visual range. âSoundwave,â he said. âProceed.â
The images that flashed onto the screen this time were official statements and public communiques from the Decepticon Army, all of which featured close-ups of Megatron, and they were closely followed by clips from videos released by the Autobots, their emblem featured in one corner. None of those featured Megatron in a good light, and there was even one where he was clearly getting the worst of a fierce battle between himself and the Autobot leader, but there was no denying that the mech in every frame was the one who was speaking to them now. The display ended and Megatron looked around.
âAny further concerns in that regard?â he said.
There were headshakes in reply. None of the Seekers looked at Farsight, and Megatron continued. âThe Decepticons value fighters with your speed and skill, so any Seekers who choose to join me will be welcome in Polyhex. With one exception.â His evaluating red gaze swept around the room to settle on Aquiline. âI have no interest in anyone whoâs willing to sell out their own kind to gain a personal advantage, especially when they make such a poor bargain of it. Because the most obedient and favored servant is still a servant. Never an equal.â
Oh yes, Starscream thought, doing his best to keep a look of triumph off his face, especially since Aquiline didnât seem able to meet Megatronâs optics. Ghostwing waited until it was certain Megatron had finished, and then he said, âThereâs just one more thing⊠Starscream said that if we joined you, weâd be paid only a third of what other Decepticons get.â
âYes, thatâs right,â Megatron said. âOn the other hand, did he tell you how much other Decepticons of similar rank earn? No, I didnât think so. Theyâre paid sixty credits every decacycle.â He glanced around at the widening optics and stunned expressions. âAny other questions?â
***
Thundercracker flopped down on his berth with a clank of metal, because now that the door to their quarters had closed behind them, he could finally show what he felt. Which was mostly relief that it was overâand, more importantly, that theyâd won. Skywarp whooped gleefully, and Starscream shushed him with a remark about everyone hearing that. Skywarp let out a quieter whoop.
âYour plan worked!â he said.
âYouâre surprised?â Starscream asked dryly.
âCourse I am. Your plans usually... uh, make perfect sense.â Skywarp beamed at him. âSo when can we leave?â
Starscream took two cubes out from under his berth, though to Thundercrackerâs relief, he produced a third one as well. âRefuel first,â he said, and leaned back against the wall to drink his share.
Thundercracker interlaced his fingers under his helm, feeling as though heâd shed a heavy weight heâd carried for so long that heâd forgotten what it was like to fly without being dragged down by that. Starscream had come up with this idea when Ramjet and his trine had arrived in the ruined city, and had told them all that the only thing likely to turn the tide at that point was Megatronâs input. âHeâs powerful and charismatic, but just as importantly, heâs an outsider. More of an impartial third party than any of us.â
"Makes sense," Ramjet had said. "So what we gotta do is get our hands on a communications array somehow, and then we contact Darkmount and convene everyone so he can speak to them."
Starscream frowned. "You're right, but that wonât be enough. Megatron is used to addressing crowds and making recruitment speeches and so on, but if thatâs our only advantage, Farsight might frame it as a he-said-he-said situation." He gazed off into the distance, optics narrowed and thoughtful. "We need to put everyone in the right state of mind to accept what Megatron has to say. We need to bypass their skepticismâ"
Dirge snorted. "Which is sky-high thanks to you not telling them the truth from the start."
"Are you finished?" Starscream asked in a voice that could etch frost patterns on glass. "Because if you want to keep rubbing it in, I can wait till youâre done." Even Ramjet didn't seem to want to get into the middle of that, and Dirge didnât say anything more. "As I was saying, we need to bypass their skepticism and appeal to their emotions instead. Megatron can provide the incentive to join him, but we can prepare the ground for him to do so."
He told them his plan, which was a risky, dangerous idea with a big payoff if it succeeded and an equally spectacular crash-and-burn if it didn'tâtypical Starscream, Thundercracker thoughtâand the five of them stood in silence, absorbing it. Or more likely, Thundercracker thought, no one wanted to be the first to speak. But after a year or so, Skywarp reset his vocalizer and spoke up.
"You think this will work?" he asked.
Starscream nodded with all his customary confidence. "When Farsight gets a transmission thatâs supposedly from Darkmount and realizes that this will finish me off for good, he wonât be able to resist sharing it with everyone. Theyâre already predisposed to think the worst of me, and after that, theyâll hate every centimeter of my circuitry." One corner of his mouth went up in a half-smile. "So when the real Megatron exposes that transmission for the disgusting, fraudulent hatchet job it is, and when he reveals the truth to them, the pendulum will swing back in the opposite direction. And if my denunciation is dramatic, my vindication will be even more so."
Thrust's optics flashed a blink. "What do those words even mean?"
Despite the tension, Thundercracker had to stifle a laugh, and only managed it by staring fixedly at his feet for a long moment. Starscream sighed. "Just trust me, okay?" He looked around at Ramjet and his trinemates, meeting their optics squarely. "I know you havenât had much reason to do so, but⊠I need your help, and I need you on my side."
And so they had agreed, doing what Starscream referred to as "laying the foundations for the facade" by spreading rumors about Starscream continuing to remain in Vos, a troublemaker who would keep hanging around like a permanent piece of grit in everyone's seams. Starscream, meanwhile, had persuaded Blacktalon to help them, since he now worked in the communications bureau.
So Blacktalon had passed the first Darkmount transmission on to Farsight, who took the credit for having had the intelligence and the initiative to contact the Decepticons for the truth about Starscream. Blacktalon had also received the second transmission from Megatron and had made certain it was rerouted to the vidscreen after Ramjet had convened the Seekers.
Farsight had said very little after Megatron ended the transmission, because it was obvious by then that few of the Seekers would be willing to listen to him. He had merely told Starscream to leave before midday, and had left, ignoring the muted jeers in his wake. Starscream had immediately called for a vote of how many Seekers were ready to leave with him, and Thundercracker had been gratified to count thirty-three. Along with themselves, that would make a satisfyingly large squadron for the Decepticon Army, he thought, with the numbers to not only make a decisive impact in a battle but to protect themselves otherwise. He still didnât entirely trust grounders, even if those grounders were other Decepticons.
Heâd expected Starscream to be happy too, but for some reason that didnât seem to be the case. Starscream had said all the right things, of course, and had arranged with the other Seekers to leave as soon as theyâd all refueled and gathered whatever personal possessions they couldnât leave, but heâd had an oddly preoccupied look in his optics all throughout. He still seemed a little lost in thought now, and he finished his energon in silence. Skywarp was long since done with his, and now lay on his back, one foot on the berth and the heel-thruster of the other propped on his raised knee. He clearly couldnât wait to take off.
A knock on the door made Thundercracker sit up. It wasnât likely to be some sort of going-away present from Farsight, but he still couldnât forget those messages painted on the outside of their door. He got off his berth, but Starscream was closer and reached the door first, while Thundercracker charged his guns up as discreetly as possible.
Blacktalon was outside, and he wasted no time in getting to the point. âAquiline is no longer our wingleader,â he said to Starscream. A faint smile curved his mouth. âWarhawk backed me up when I decided to make a change in our trine structure.â
Starscream shrugged. âWell, you helped us, so now weâre even. Just one thing, thoughâdid you write those messages on our door?â
âOf course. Aquiline was our wingleader at the time, so I followed his orders. And if heâd told me to pump silane gas through the vents and ignite it, thatâs what would have happened. Immediately.â
âYou should do all right in Vos.â Starscreamâs voice was cool and neutral.
Blacktalonâs smile grew more pronounced. âThe same goes for you in Polyhex,â he said. âWhere you had better stay. Just for future reference.â
âWhatâs that supposed to mean?â
âThat youâre not welcome back in Vos.â
Starscream snorted. âNo, really? Thanks, but I figured that out already.â
âNo, you didnât,â Blacktalon said. âYeah, the Presidium doesnât want you back. But we donât either.â
âWe?â Starscream lifted an optic ridge. âWhat is that, the royal plural?â
âWe meaning all the Seekers.â The smile was now a broad grin, though Thundercracker had never seen anything so humorless. âThe Presidium was right about that much. We need a strong leader, someone whoâll look out for our best interests, and with you gone⊠well, nature abhors a vacuum, doesnât it? You can have your power base in Polyhex, but Vos is mine. And if you ever return here, youâll regret that more than you ever did your little vacation in Altihex.â
âOh, I donât regret going to Altihex,â Starscream said easily. âNot after that led to a far better life for us. And since I donât answer to you, Iâll go wherever I want. Just for future reference.â
Blacktalonâs optics narrowed, but he wasnât silenced for long. âNo,â he said after a moment. âNo, youâll answer to Megatron from now on, wonât you? Though you could do so much better.â
Starscream gave him a bored look. âOur pay will be raised to the standard of other Decepticons onceââ
âI donât mean money. I mean, why shouldnât you command more power in Polyhex than you could ever have in Vos?â
Skywarp had gone to join Starscream, and he frowned when he heard that. âStarscream will probably be Megatronâs first choice as a squadron leader,â he said.
âSquadron leader?â Blacktalon snorted. âTalk about setting your sights low.â
Starscream folded his arms. âWhat are you getting at?â
âWhy shouldnât you be the one calling the shots? Megatron might be the commander of the Decepticons for now, but heâs a crawler, like the rest of them. Arenât you better than that? If anyone deserves to rule, a Seeker does.â
âWeâre done here,â Starscream said.
âThink about it, Starscream,â Blacktalon urged him. âYouâre as ambitious for advancement as I am, and thereâs nothing wrong with that as long as you stay in your own city for the rest of yourââ
âI said, weâre done here,â Starscream said in the same calm unemotional tone, and shut the door. He turned on his heel and went back to his berth. Skywarp shook his head, exhaling through his vents as he did so.
âWhew,â he said. âWhat a poisonous slagger.â
âYeah.â Thundercracker let his guns power down, relieved that there had been no need to use them. âI hope no one who shares those sentiments about Megatron is coming to Polyhex with us.â
âNo kidding,â Skywarp said, but he was frowning again. âStarscream? You didnât believe anything he said, did you?â
Thundercracker looked in Starscreamâs direction as well. He was seated on his berth with his back to the wall, and that distant, preoccupied expression was back on his face, though he answered Skywarp without hesitation. âHe wasnât wrong about my wanting advancement. I know what itâs like to be powerlessâand not only in Altihex.â
âBut you wouldnât take it too far,â Skywarp said. âOr backstab someone who trusts you.â
âWell, I wouldnât do it again. I did that to Megatron.â
âAnd youâre still alive.â Skywarp plopped down on his berth. âTC, what did I tell you?â
Thundercracker sighed, dug in a subspace pocket, and brought out a handful of credit chips he had been saving. âYeah, okay, you were right.â
Starscreamâs optic ridges came together. âWhatâs this about?â
âHe said Megatron must be in love with you,â Thundercracker explained as he handed the money over to Skywarp.
âMegatron doesnât seem like a complete pushover,â Skywarp went on, âand I donât think heâd put up with all the slag you pulled in Polyhex even to get more Seekers in his army. I mean, he could always have tried recruiting us himself, or sending Decepticons as emissaries to Vos. So there was only one reason heâd still want you around after everything you did. Am I right? Am I right?â
âYes,â Starscream said brusquely, though instead of being at all chastened or subdued by his tone, Skywarp chuckled and settled down on his berth, where he busied himself with counting his winnings. The silence in their room seemed vast and expectant, but Thundercracker was in no hurry to break it. Starscream studied a scratch on his berth, his attention fixed on that.
"Iâm in love with him, too," he said quietly.
Without a word, Skywarp got up, crossed the room, and returned all the credit chips to Thundercracker. Starscream stared at them both, optics blank with disbelief.
"You bet on that as well?" he said. Thundercracker's lips twitched, but he managed to keep a straight face otherwise. Skywarp, naturally, burst out laughing.
"Gotcha," he said, and collapsed on his berth, still snickering. Starscream glowered, but finally he huffed and looked resigned instead. Thundercracker smiled to himself, because he could tell that although Starscream didnât enjoy falling for jokes like that, heâd also realized that his wingmates were once again comfortable enough around him to tease him.
But they had to deal with what Starscream had just told themâand preferably before they were in Polyhex again. âYouâre really in love with him?" he asked.
Starscream nodded. "You two okay with that?"
"Sure, I guess," Skywarp said.
"Heâs not so bad for a grounder," Thundercracker had to admit. "And at least he has good taste. But does he expect an exclusive?"
Starscream shrugged. âIf he does, he'll be disappointed. He knows I have wingmates. He'll need to share, that's all.â
Let's hope he's good at doing that, Thundercracker thought. Skywarp stroked his chin in an exaggeratedly pensive way, as though mulling over a complicated issue.
âWeâll have to share too,â he said. "The only question is who we're sharing."
"Hmm." Thundercracker raised an optic ridge.
Starscreamâs optics narrowed. "I don't think he's interested in a foursome just yet, Skywarp," he said. "And if he is, he'll let the two of you know."
That was enough teasing for now, Thundercracker decided, though if the three of them remained cooped up in there for much longer, Skywarp wouldnât be able to resist. He was clearly fizzing with pent-up energy, and Thundercracker wanted to be out of their quarters as well.
âLetâs go flying,â he said.
Skywarp all but bounced off his berth, though Starscream looked at Thundercracker as though heâd suggested they go for a thorough medical checkup. âWeâll be starting out on a long flight very soon,â he pointed out.
âYeah, so letâs have a bit of fun first,â Skywarp said. âCâmon, Starscream. When was the last time we flew for fun, just the three of us?â
âOkay, fine,â Starscream said as if he was doing them a favor, though Thundercracker wasnât fooled. Starscream loved flying even more than they did. He sent out a comm over the channel theyâd shared with the other Seekers who would be coming to Polyhex with them, to say that the three of them were about to leave Vos and sending the coordinates where everyone else could find them.
Then, for the last time, they left their quarters, but Thundercracker didnât spare that room a backward look. It no longer felt like anything even resembling a home to him. Home was where his wingmates were, and it was clear that Starscream was at least halfway to Polyhex, in his head at least, while Skywarp was up in the clouds already.
The weather was perfect, the sky bright but the air still cool on his plating. Starscream transformed and took off with the two of them following, climbing higher and higher as he set a course due east. In moments, their altitude was so high that the ground might as well have disappeared. Thundercracker kept his place at Starscreamâs right wingtip with the ease of long experience, but he knew that wouldnât last for long, not when Skywarp opened their channel to ask, âWhat game are we playing?â
âWe tag you,â Starscream said immediately, and that was all the warning Skywarp got before Starscream shot ahead with an electrifying burst of speed, then banked into an arc to head back at his target. That also left enough space for Thundercracker to slew sideways, aiming for a collision⊠which might have happened if Skywarp hadnât vanished in time. He reappeared nearby, but Starscream was just as fast, counting on the fact that Skywarpâs onward direction and momentum remained the same when he teleported. Skywarpâs engines cut out and his flaps sprang up. He stalled and dropped, gravity pulling him out of the way. Starscream shot through the empty air where Skywarp had been, growling over the channel. Skywarp transformed to get out of the stall, thrusters firing at full force, then squawked and folded into jet mode again as Thundercracker dove at him. That time he wasnât so fortunate, and Thundercracker managed to lightly clip one of his vertical stabilizers in passing.
âGood job,â Starscream said, wheeling around. Thundercracker felt gratified, because he simply couldnât fly as fast as Skywarp did, though he knew that now the game had just become more challenging. Since Skywarp had been dinged, that meant it was his turn to tag them.
âYou two are so finished!â he promised, engines roaring as he put on a burst of speed. Instead of coming straight at them, though, he went nose-up to gain altitude and was lost from sight in the clouds above them. Thundercracker had his radar going at once, but Skywarp had expected that. The blip on the screen vanished and reappeared in a different location with all of Skywarpâs dizzying speed.
âHeâs on the move,â Thundercracker said, wondering whether to make his flight erratic so Skywarp would find it more difficult to target him.
âLet him,â Starscream said, and did a graceful barrel roll. âLook, Skywarp, Iâm upside down. Canât see a thing!â
Thundercracker couldnât help chuckling as Starscream rolled again and again, leaving spirals of white smoke coiling in his wake before he flipped back over and curved into a crisp loop, circling around as he tossed off come-and-get-me challenges to Skywarp all the while. He was enjoying himself now, Thundercracker could feel it, and he rather hoped Skywarp wouldnâtâŠ
Wait, what? Thundercracker was so stunned that he forgot to follow Starscream for a moment and had to correct his flight. âStarscream,â he said, âI felt that. I felt you.â
âYouâreâŠâ Skywarp began, pausing as if he wasnât sure how to describe it. âYouâre here.â
It was far from the most articulate expression of what had just happened, but it was enough. âYes.â Starscreamâs voice was very quiet, as though the bond slowly re-establishing itself was fragile enough to break if he spoke any louder. âI can feel you too.â
The emotion flooding through the link came from two directions now, from the two paths that led straight to Thundercrackerâs spark. From Skywarpâs side it was unrestrained and exuberant; from Starscreamâs it was tentative and cautious. But it was there, it was there to stay, and it was a joy that made him feel he could fly forever.
He didnât know what to say, but Skywarp did. âIâm still going to tag you,â he said, and streaked down.
âOnly in your dreams,â Starscream said, laughing, and the three of them wheeled in playful pursuit through the clouds, dancing across the sky.
The message was painted on the outside of their door. Skywarp smelled the wet paint as soon as he came online, but he thought it was the corridor being repainted to hide the stains where the roof had leaked. When Starscream opened the door for them all to leave, though, they saw it.
âPathetic,â Thundercracker said, contempt edging his voice. âCouldnât even say that to our faces.â
Starscream closed the door and led the way to the refectory. âWe can repaint the door once we get back,â he said, because as soon as they finished recharging, they were supposed to get their daily ration and check the duty roster. But once they arrived in the refectory and went to the large screen that was updated every hour, their names were nowhere on it.
Starscream turned away as if that was normal, and Thundercracker went to the energon dispenser. Skywarp wished he was back in the ruined city, because none of the other Seekers in the room said anything to them, or even acknowledged their presence.
The first part of Starscreamâs plan had been to return to Vos and go about their lives as though all they wanted was to put the unpleasantness in the common hall behind them. It was evident, though, that none of the other Seekers had forgotten about that. Skywarp had never been ostracized before and it made him feel like something unwanted and foreign, as though he was somehow no longer a Seeker, not one of them any more.
Thundercracker set the cubes down and Skywarp drank without tasting any of the energon, gulping it down so they could get out of there all the quicker. With no assigned work, they could repaint the door right away, but their routine duties were what kept them fueled. So if they were permanently off the roster, it was only a matter of time before theyâd be flying on fumes.
None of them spoke, so their table was an island of silence in the murmured talk all around, and as soon as they were finished with refueling, Starscream led the way out and asked Thundercracker if he had enough money for the new paint. Skywarp could have teleported into the supply shed and taken what they needed, but when he suggested that, Starscream said they couldnât afford that risk. âIâm going to need you to do something more dangerous,â he said, and Skywarp nodded eagerly.
He reported to Starscream several hours later. âHard Light told Firesong that youâd changed your mind about going to Polyhex,â he said. âHe heard it from Riposte, and he heard it from Dirge.â Skywarp had been hiding nearby in a storage closet barely large enough for his wingspan, secure only in the knowledge that he could teleport out if he accidentally knocked anything over. Which was exactly what had happened.
âGood.â Starscream was lying on his berth with his optics offline, though he didnât sound tired. At any other time, Skywarp might have settled down next to him, but he was still a little unsure of what sort of reception heâd get from Starscream if he tried, so he plopped down on his own berth instead.
âAnd Nova Storm was talking to Quicksilver,â he continued. Heâd been perched in the rafters to eavesdrop on them. âHe said that you never actually intended to return to Polyhex, let alone recruit anyone, because if you did, youâd have told us all the truth from the start.â
Thundercracker didnât say I told you so, but Skywarp could tell he was thinking it. Starscreamâs mouth tightened, but after a while he muttered something under his breath and shifted his shoulders as if trying to find a more comfortable position.
âWhat did the two of you get up to while I was gone?â Skywarp asked quickly, trying to smooth over the awkward moment.
Thankfully that seemed to work. âThundercracker repainted the door,â Starscream said, then switched to their wingâs private channel on the comm. âAnd I had a private meeting with Blacktalon. He agreed.â
Skywarp nodded, but didnât ask any questions about that, just in case radio transmissions were being monitored. Unless someone like the Decepticonsâ communications officer Soundwave was in the next room, the possibility was remote, but Starscream had told them back in the ruined city not to take any chances. So Skywarp settled down to recharge without any comment, but secretly he couldnât help feeling hopeful. So far, so good, was his last thought before he slipped offline.
But the next morning, when Starscream opened the door to leave, he stood there as if immobilized, staring at the outside of the door. Thundercracker tried looking over his shoulder, and Skywarp teleported outside to see what was on the door this time. Some creative insults, or a dirty drawing?
THIS ROOM WILL BE SET ON FIRE. BURN OUT THE VERMIN.
âHoly frag,â he said, stunned.
The sound seemed to jolt Starscream back into action. He looked to either side, though of course the corridor outside was empty. Then he stepped back in and gestured for Skywarp to come back in too before he shut the door.
âWho wrote that?â His voice was a harsh, rasping whisper. âAnd if they meant it, why warn us first?â
âA fire could spread.â Thundercracker was practical as always. âTheyâd rather we just leave.â
Starscream considered, then nodded. âThat makes sense. I was wondering whether we should recharge outside Vos from now on, but we donât have long to wait. We just need to hold the line until then. For now, weâll refuel. For the rest of the day, letâs keep our helms down, stick to public spaces, and stay together.â
Skywarp had already decided that at the first whiff of smoke, heâd grab his wingmates and teleport as far from there as possible, but whoever the would-be arsonist was, he knew about Skywarpâs ability too. What if the mention of fire had been meant as a distraction, and the means of dealing with them would actually be explosives of some sort? He was preoccupied enough that when Thundercracker set a cube down before him, he started to drink before he realized it was only a half-ration.
Before he could ask about that, Thundercracker sat down heavily, a grim look tightening his features. âThatâs all weâre getting,â he said, staring down at his own half-cube. âI tried our code on the dispenser again, but nothing happened.â
Wondering how much more he could use his warp drive, which consumed a lot of energy, Skywarp tossed off his energon and followed his wingmates out once they were done, since once again their names didnât show up on the roster. As though they werenât there any more, he thought, which was why no one even looked at them. Would their rations be reduced even further now that they werenât able to work for those?
Starscream and Thundercracker settled down in their room to wait for the next phase of the plan to be implemented, but Skywarp headed out for a little more listening. That day, what he heard (from Nocturne, whoâd heard it from Poison Cloud, whoâd heard it from Thrust) was that Starscream wasnât going to take this treatment lying down, and that he was going to make Farsight pay for starting all the trouble in the first place. It was almost funny, he thought, how no one was talking to Starscream, but everyone was talking about Starscream.
He returned to their quarters and repeated everything heâd heard. Starscream chuckled, without humor, when heâd finished.
âWell, itâs true enough that Iâm not going to just give in,â he said. âYou know, the best lies have a little truth in them. Thatâs part of what makes them believable.â
Skywarp nodded distractedly, because he was trying to calculate how many more times he could teleport with a fuel level in the yellow zone. To his relief, Starscream told him heâd done enough for now, so he lay down to rest. He thought that under any other circumstances, a couple of days without assigned duties would have been great; the three of them could have gone flying, played games, told stories, done anything they wanted. Now, though, they were huddled within four walls, in the fragile bubble of their room, doing as little as possible because of their low fuel levels.
Towards evening, Thundercracker slipped out to meet Dirge for an update. Skywarp tried to recharge, but even with their lights in their room dimmed to a quarter, the slight but steady gnawing in his fuel tank kept him online. He shifted and turned over and tried clasping his arms under his instrumentation canopy. Nothing worked, and finally he onlined his optics again. In the dimness of their room, all that stood out was the glow of Starscreamâs datapad and optics as he sat with his shoulders to the wall, reading. Skywarp knew Starscream had read all of his books at least three times each already, but Starscream probably preferred even that to doing nothing. Skywarp turned over again, which was not easy with a Seekerâs wingspan.
âMaybe I should have gone with him,â he murmured.
âNo,â Starscream said without looking up from his book. âYouâve been running all the risks for the past two days. Take it easy for now.â
Low though Skywarp felt, it helped a little to hear Starscream say that. âYou think itâll work?â he asked, a little cautiously in case that was the wrong thing to say.
Starscream glanced up from the datapad, but to Skywarpâs relief he didnât seem irritated. His features were set in concentration instead, a furrow between his optics. âI donât know,â he said after a moment. âDepends on so many other mechs.â
That was true, Skywarp thought. In the past, Starscream had usually been confident that he could deal with problematic situations solo, and given his intelligence, speed, and skill, he wasnât often wrong. But this time, heâd brought them all on board with his plan, and Skywarp greatly preferred that.
âIâve done what I can,â Starscream said. âBut⊠well, itâs touch and go now.â
He sounded unsure, a rare vulnerability he would never have shown to anyone except for his wingmates, and Skywarp sat up. âDoesnât matter,â he said. âAs long as weâre together, thatâs all I want.â
The frown vanished. âCome over here,â Starscream said. Skywarp hesitated, and Starscream patted the surface of his berth.
Not certain of what this meant, Skywarp sat down beside him but kept a small distance between them. His wing overlapped Starscreamâs, and he tried to shift his position, but before he could move, Starscreamâs hand covered his. Skywarp looked down at the blue hand on his, at their fingers intertwining.
âI missed you,â Starscream said, very quietly. âI missed you so much.â
When a sky-high wall finally came down, it did so in a crash that shook the world. Skywarpâs head came up, he met Starscreamâs optics, and he couldnât have looked away if the room actually had been burning around them. Starscream leaned closer and Skywarp let his optics go offline, his sensor net prickling with need and anticipation.
The first touch of Starscreamâs mouth against his made him shiver, his fingers closing on Starscreamâs hand. Starscream tilted his head a little to deepen the contact and Skywarp kissed him back hungrily. He couldnât remember how long it had been since theyâd last done this, but he could barely remember his own name now, and none of it mattered when Starscreamâs mouth opened against his, hot and urgent. His core temperature rose at once, and desire pulsed through him in an intoxicating rush.
But in the next moment Starscream pulled back, panting through his vents. âWait,â he said when Skywarp reached for him. âYour fuel levelââ
âFrag that.â Skywarp kissed him again, his free hand sliding around Starscreamâs waist. A moan rose from the depths of Starscreamâs throat and Skywarp swallowed the sound. That time, he drew away first, but it was only to whisper, âFrag me.â
Starscreamâs optics darkened. He grabbed Skywarpâs upper arms and pushed him against the berth, then leaned down to cover Skywarpâs body with his. Blue hands glided over Skywarpâs frame, searching and finding every sensor within reach, and when Starscream found the receptors at his hip joints, thumbs circling over them, Skywarp whimpered. The sound seemed to arouse Starscream even more. He moved low, mouthing the edges of the air intakes on Skywarpâs chestplate, nuzzling at his canopy.
Then he slid down even further. Skywarp reached for him, trying to pull him back up, but Starscream brushed his hands away.
âLet me,â he said softly. âLet me link up with you.â
As if he needed to ask. Skywarpâs legs had parted without any conscious thought on his part, and Starscream moved so he was lying between them, his wings spread across Skywarpâs thighs. He pressed his mouth to the panel which covered Skywarpâs linkage cables and made a low mmm sound which seemed to vibrate down through black plating and into every connection beneath.
Oh yes. âYes,â Skywarp whispered. âDo it.â And this time, when his hands closed on Starscreamâs shoulders, there was no refusal or resistance. Starscream let Skywarp pull him up, uncovering his own cables as he did so, and plugged them in. He slid Skywarpâs connectors into his own terminal points, joining the two of them.
Skywarp remembered that Starscream couldnât feel their trine bond any more, but when Starscream shivered, a tremor traveling through his frame to the tips of his wings, he knew Starscream could feel this. Could feel how much Skywarp wanted him, had to have him. Starscream gasped, and his head lowered as though he was trying to endure something unbearable even for him. In the next moment, his response surged into their connection and through the sensory feed.
Skywarp went rigid. A harsh involuntary sob escaped him. He had never expected this. Perhaps it was because this was the first time in so long that theyâd linked up, or perhaps it was because of the raw intimacy of the connection, but whatever the reason for it, Starscream couldnât completely hide what he felt. Desperation and loneliness hit Skywarp with the force of a physical blow. Fear as sharp as a razor ran the lengths of the wires inside his chest.
Starscreamâs optics snapped back online. The shock on his face gave way to humiliation. For a moment he didnât seem to know what to do, and then he looked down at their linkage cables before reaching for them, clearly about to disconnect them.
âNo,â Skywarp blurted out.
Starscream went still, frozen. For a frantic moment Skywarp cudgeled his processors to come up with something to say to convince Starscream it was all right, to urge him not to withdraw, but his mind was blank. The desperation he now felt was his own. If Starscream drew back into his shell, he might never leave it again, but what in the world could Skywarp say now?
The realization was sudden, blinding, like flying out of a thick cloud and straight into the sunrise. He didnât need to say anything. He only needed to feel.
Without giving Starscream time to react, without giving himself time to doubt or second-guess, he poured his own emotions into the feed. The aching emptiness left by the loss of one of their trine, and his dread when heâd thought they were going to be separated again. Starscreamâs limbs trembled so hard that he had to put both his hands to the berth to hold himself up, and he shook his head jerkily. He was beyond words, Skywarp knew, but words werenât necessary when the connection between them deepened even further and he let Starscream sense the reassurance of knowing they were together, the determination that they would never be apart again.
A bittersweet relief stole slowly through the return feed.
âYes,â Skywarp whispered, the tension starting to ease out of him. He offlined his optics so he could feed more of what he felt into their connection, drawing his response up from the innermost part of his core. What it had felt like on their first flight together, when the three of them had danced through the sky, the realization like a glowing warmth within him that he and Thundercracker had finally found the partner theyâd been searching for, the one who would complete their trine. He let all of that show, trust and loyalty and something deeper than both, something unbreakable, and Starscream looked down at him as if he had never seen Skywarp before but had been waiting all his life for him.
This time, when Starscream reached out, it was to find Skywarpâs wing. He slid his palm across it in a long slow caress, tracing the length of the purple stripe before he moved to let his mouth follow the tingling path left by his fingers. Skywarp moaned in reaction, stroking Starscreamâs helm and shoulder-vents, anything he could reach. There was no more loneliness in the sensor feed between them now, no more loss, only desire that sent heat coiling down through him. He arched, whispering Starscreamâs name over and over. A purr rumbled up from Starscreamâs engines and he put his mouth on Skywarpâs wingtip, licking and lashing at it.
That was more than enough. Skywarp overloaded, and Starscream clamped a hand over his mouth to keep him quiet. Everything that Skywarp felt blazed through their connection instead, in a rush of white-hot pleasure, and Starscream buried his face in Skywarpâs wing as he was caught up in it as well. The feel of smothered cries thrumming down into the sensitized circuitry of his wing made Skywarpâs legs thrash, and his head rolled from side to side.
Gasping, he finally lay still. Every now and then, an aftershock would send a tremor through him, and Starscreamâs ventilations would hitch with an echo of that, but gradually their systems stabilized. Skywarp felt as though he was drifting down to the ground from an infinite height. He fed that sated contentment into their connection, and Starscream sighed.
Stirring, he reached down and disconnected their linkages, moving more slowly now. Skywarp half wished he hadnât done that. Heâd liked having Starscream so close again, feeling what he felt, as though nothing between them had changed.
âI missed you too,â he said softly.
Starscream didnât answer, but he put an arm around Skywarp, holding him even closer. Skywarp would have been happy to lie there and slip into recharge, but after a few moments, Starscream levered himself up on an elbow and cupped Skywarpâs cheek with his other hand. His thumb traced tiny circles on the corner of Skywarpâs mouth.
Again? Skywarp thought, but tired though he was, heat flickered through his frame once more. Well, if Starscream wanted to make up for lost time, Skywarp had no objections at all. He turned just enough to press his lips against Starscreamâs palm, and Starscreamâs optics turned garnet-dark as he lowered his head.
The overhead intercom snapped on. âThis is Farsight.â The voice was sharp and commanding. âAll Seekers are ordered to assemble in the common hall, immediately.â
Great timing, Skywarp thought, though it could have been worse. After all, Farsight could have made that announcement ten minutes ago and really ruined the mood. Starscream rolled off and came up on his feet beside the berth in the same smooth movement.
âThis is it,â he said over their private channel.
âMeet you there,â Thundercracker replied.
Skywarp got up as well, all the languid satisfaction gone. Now he felt as tense as if he was about to fly into a battleâwhich he was going to do, in a way. A battle where he didnât like the odds going in.
But his wingmates would be there too, and that made all the difference. He met Starscreamâs optics in a glance of shared understanding. Then Starscream led the way out, and Skywarp followed him.
Recently I read a comment on YouTube that one sign that Daenerys is a villain (possibly even the ultimate villain) is how she feels entitled to the Iron Throne.
Well, itâs true that Dany wants the Iron Throne.
But by that definition of entitlement, you know another entitled character in the series? Sansa.
Because after Sansa hears about Robbâs death, she keeps thinking that she has a claim to Winterfell. As if it belongs to her. Maybe some other girl would like to be the Lady of Winterfell instead, has Sansa ever thought about that?
And hereâs an even more entitled character : Tyrion. Throughout the series, he believes he should inherit Casterly Rock. Just because his older brother isnât eligible and his older sister canât inherit before he does, Tyrion has straight-up decided that he should have Casterly Rock. He never stops to wonder whether maybe he doesnât deserve it. The list could continue : Stannis feels entitled to the Iron Throne, Arianne feels entitled to rule Dorne, and so on.
OK, enough sarcasm. I donât think any of these characters are entitled in the pejorative sense of the word. I think theyâre entitled in the legal sense, just like how Iâm entitled to vote because the law in my country says I have that right. Dany is her fatherâs only surviving child. Under the law, that means sheâs supposed to ascend the throne.
That said, Aerysâs treatment of his vassals and the resulting overthrow means that the Targaryens donât rule Westeros any longer, so that law no longer applies. But firstly, this doesnât mean that Dany herself should never be allowed within a mile of the Iron Throne no matter how hard she works to protect and lead her people. Condemning someone for who their father was isnât any better than rewarding them for who their father was.
And secondly, how is she supposed to know about what her father did? Everything she knows about Westeros, sheâs learned from Viserys, Barristan and Jorah. Did any of them tell her the complete truth about why the Targaryens fell from power?
If Dany doesnât know all of this, then Iâm not sure how she can be called entitled for thinking the deaths of her father and older brothers make her the queen. Any more than Tommen is entitled because heâs been told that the deaths of his father and older brother make him the king. In Westeros, thatâs how inheritance law works. I understand why people might consider primogeniture unfair (this is, after all, the system which put Joffrey in power), but what feasible alternative does Dany have for now? Â
Also, letâs say she gives up her claim to the Iron Throne. After her dragons hatch, should she tell the remnants of Drogoâs khalasar that sheâs not entitled to lead them, therefore they should disperse and try to survive somehow? What should she do with the rest of her life, stay in the desert? I suppose once the Others slaughter their way across Westeros because there are no dragons there to stop them*, she can tell herself, âAt least I wasnât so entitled I thought I could do anything about it.â
Rhaegar, on the other hand, originally believed he was the Prince that was Promised. But Iâve never seen Rhaegar being condemned for his entitled attitude. I wonder what the difference between him and Dany is. (Yes, that was one last bit of sarcasm)
If Dany arrogantly thought she was entitled to the Iron Throne, she could have gone after it after she conquered Meereen. Instead, she recognized that she needed to learn to be a queen, so she stayed in Meereen and worked towards the peace she wanted, trying to balance the needs of a freed population with those of a society adjusting to significant change. Wanting the Iron Throne and being willing to work for it =/= thinking youâre entitled to it. I worked hard to become a citizen of my country, and I would have been royally pissed (no pun intended) if during the long difficult process someone had told me that I thought I was entitled to citizenship.
There are plenty of characters in the series who actually do think theyâre entitled to somethingâRenly, Littlefinger, Ramsay, Cersei and so on. But Dany is not one of them. Â
*I think A Game of Thrones begins with the Others and ends with the dragons hatching because the two are connected, and the dragons will play a major role in the final battle. I do not believe all the Others and their army of wights will collapse because a child manages to stab their Load-Bearing Boss.
âWhat the frag is wrong with you?â Thundercracker said.
He spoke with helplessness rather than condemnation, but the scathing, contemptuous look he got in return was like a splash of acid to the face. Starscreamâs mouth tightened into a thin line as though he was barely preventing himself from making some retort, and he turned around to stare out over the ruins again.
Like he can ignore the problem and itâll go away somehow, Thundercracker thought. He was suddenly so angry that it eclipsed even the feeling of the world shifting sharply beneath him. Like he can ignore us and weâll fall in line anyway, and if we donât, itâs no big deal because he can manage on his own. Thundercracker had remained behind not because he didnât know where Skywarp wasâhe could send a query ping and get his wingmateâs new coordinates in the next instantâbut because he didnât want to abandon Starscream, to leave him alone now of all times. And yet Starscream had turned his back, refusing to even acknowledge Thundercracker.
Without thinking, he reached out, intending to grab Starscreamâs arm and turn him around so they could at least try talking to each other, and his hand struck the edge of Starscreamâs wing.
The impact wasnât a hard one. It wouldnât leave a scratch, let alone a dent. But Starscream whirled around, so fast that his wing missed Thundercrackerâs face by mere inches.
Starscreamâs fist did not. The punch sent Thundercracker staggering back before he caught himself and recovered his balance. One side of his face was hot and numb, and then the momentary shock gave way to a sharp pain that finished off the last of his restraint.
He closed the distance between them and grabbed Starscreamâs upper arms, all but immobilizing them. Starscream kicked out at him, but Thundercracker had been anticipating that. He threw his weight forward, slamming bodily into Starscream and sending them both to the surface of the roof. Starscream couldnât twist away because of the grip on his arms, and Thundercracker landed on top of him, hard enough that there was a crack as glass broke. Starscreamâs vents expelled air in a gasp.
The sound brought Thundercracker back to his senses. Had this all really happened? He and Starscream had argued a few times in the past, but Starscream had never raised a hand to him before, nor had Thundercracker ever done⊠any of this. A split now ran the length of the amber glass of Starscreamâs instrumentation canopy, and he looked as stunned as Thundercracker felt.
The slow rupture of their trine might have begun some time ago, but Thundercracker had the terrible suspicion it had just concluded. He let go of Starscream at once, and started to push himself off.
Starscream caught his shoulders, stopping him. âDonât go,â he whispered.
The change in his voice wasnât as noticeable when he spoke like that, so quietly that Thundercracker might not have heard him if they hadnât been so close. For the first time since they had returned to Vos, his expression was unguarded, and Thundercracker realized that even after they had been reunited, Starscream had been alone. But for the first time, there were no more barriers between them, no more cool defenses, and Thundercracker leaned closer, let Starscream draw him down the rest of the way.
His optics offlined of their own volition, but he didnât need to see any longer, not when his mouth found Starscreamâs. A soft whimper was muffled by a kiss so relentless that it might have hurt if not for the fierce arousal that burned through him from the contact, from the feel of Starscreamâs arms around him. Knowing only that he needed more, he moved to Starscreamâs jawline and then down his throat, biting down on a neck cable hard enough to elicit another gasp. Starscreamâs frame stiffened, and then Thundercracker soothed the mark heâd made with slow licks, over and over again.
Starscream shuddered. There was nothing of pain in the moan that escaped him, only a desire that set Thundercrackerâs entire sensor net aflame. He kissed Starscream again, deeper this time, plundering his mouth with a ferocity he had never imagined he could feel, let alone unleash on a wingmate, but instead of fighting or pushing him away, Starscream responded eagerly, kissing him back. His hands slid down Thundercrackerâs shoulder-vents and onto the flats of his wings, stroking and searching.
The distance between them vanished, and the time theyâd spent apart didnât matter any more. Starscream still remembered how to touch him. How to flex his ailerons and drag tense fingertips over the sleek planes of metal to the sensors at their edges, grazing Thundercrackerâs wingtips with firm caresses and gentle twists. Thundercracker groaned, his frame moving in a reflexive response so his fuselage ground against Starscreamâs.
The two of them had interfaced more times than he could remember, but it had never been like this before, all Thundercrackerâs systems kicked into high gear, all his anger and fear subsumed by lust. He grabbed one of Starscreamâs hands and pushed it down over his instrumentation canopy, sliding Starscreamâs palm hard over the smooth glass and across the armor beneath it. The engines below that reacted as if it was the first time Thundercracker had ever been touched, as if it was the first time supple blue fingers had slipped into the narrow gaps as armor plates flexed slightly apart. Thundercracker writhed as Starscream found the receptors just beneath his armor, teased and stimulated them, and his other hand had never left Thundercrackerâs wingtip, playing with it, squeezing it, until the sensations crested to a peak and Thundercracker overloaded with a shout. His vision shattered into static and his frame jerked again and again with a pleasure so intense that he thought he would offline from it.
He might actually have offlined, for a few moments at least, because when his optics readjusted themselves, he realized he was lying on top of Starscream. The roar of ventilation died down enough for him to hear the rapid thrumming of Starscreamâs systems, driving up the temperature of the red fuselage pressed against his. Though if Starscream was at all annoyed about not having overloaded yet, it didnât show in the way he stroked Thundercrackerâs arm and trailed his fingertips along the leading edge of a wing.
Then again, Starscream had always been a generous lover. It was his mind he refused to share with anyone else, not his body.
But even that didnât matterâat least, not for now. Turning his head, Thundercracker nuzzled one of Starscreamâs shoulder-vents as he worked his elbows under him just enough to support his weight. Then he moved slowly down over Starscreamâs fuselage, tilting his own body just enough to let heated air from his vents drift over the red plating before he followed each ghosting breath with his mouth. He blew softly into transformation seams and kissed every mark their interfacing had left, every scratch and scrape. Starscreamâs own ventilations came faster, internal fans whirring.
âThundercrackerâŠâ he whispered. His voice was unsteady with need. âPleaseâŠâ
Thundercracker could no more have resisted that than he could have stopped existing. He slid his body up over Starscreamâs, gently this time, careful not to touch the split in Starscreamâs canopy, but Starscream caught his arms and pulled him down. He lifted his face and Thundercracker met him halfway in a kiss as tender as it was demanding. Starscreamâs head fell back in surrender, and when they broke apart, it was only so Thundercracker could glance once at his wing and then back at him, a lightning-fast asking of the sort that only occurred between trinemates who had flown together so long that no words were necessary.
Starscreamâs slight nod was all the answer Thundercracker needed. He reached out, but kept his hand poised over Starscreamâs wing, prolonging the anticipation that sent a shiver through the red fuselage under him. Then he lowered his hand, so slowly that Starscreamâs optics had offlined even before he made contact, and when his fingers closed around a wingtip, Starscream groaned. His fingers tightened on Thundercrackerâs arm, and his entire frame was taut, trembling, cables standing out in his throat. Thundercracker thought he had never looked more beautiful.
âStar.â He lowered his head to whisper in Starscreamâs audial as he stroked and fondled. âAh, Star, thatâs it, thatâs it, nowââ He flicked his thumb against the sensitive wingtip, and it was enough. Starscream cried out, convulsing against him. Energy snapped through his systems in wave after wave of clenching release, and Thundercracker felt as though the overload drove through him as well, making him shudder with an echo of pleasure, making him swallow a moan, low in his throat.
Gradually Starscreamâs tight grip on him relaxed, and Thundercracker rolled off him, careful not to accidentally touch a wing as he did so. He could tell that those had been replaced; they looked too pristine, and they seemed to be as sensitive as if the procedure had happened very recently. It made him wonder, far from the first time, exactly what had happened to Starscream while theyâd been separated. Megatron knew about it, Thundercracker thought, but that was probably because Megatron would have tossed Starscream out of a window if Starscream had given him any attitude.
Sighing through his vents, he waited until Starscreamâs optics came back online, and then he got to his feet, extending a hand. Starscream took it and Thundercracker pulled him up, but as soon as he did so, Starscream drew his hand back. He was clearly trying to return to his coolly self-sufficient mindset, and Thundercracker knew he had to head that off at once.
âStarscream,â he said, quietly but firmly, âweâre going back to Polyhex with you. Weâd go anywhere with you.â No matter what Skywarp had said, even in the course of the most bitter fight theyâd ever had, he would come around if Starscream took the first step towards mending matters between them. If.
Shaking off the momentary pessimism, Thundercracker continued. âAnd you donât have to tell us anything if you donât want to. But if youâre trying to convince others, youâll need to recalculate your approach vector.â
âI know.â Starscream didnât look at Thundercracker, but at least he sounded too tired to argue any further. Might as well get this over with, Thundercracker thought.
âThen thatâs all I have to say.â He kept his tone calm. âOh, except for one thing. Go apologize to Skywarp.â
That brought Starscreamâs head up at once, an affronted look in his optics, so Thundercracker went on before Starscream could object. âI mean it. None of this is his fault. Even if he teleported all over Altihex holding a sign saying âI can teleportâ, they had no right to do what they did to him.â Or to you, he thought. âAnd do you think we can afford to fight with each other right now?â
For a long moment Starscream said nothing, and although his features didnât give anything away, Thundercracker knew an apology would stick in his throat like a handful of rusted nails. Wingleaders didnât normally humble themselves before anyone, and Starscreamâs pride was stratospheric. So Thundercracker said nothing more, only waited with a patience that could outlast that of either of his wingmates, and finally Starscream gave in.
âWhere is he?â he said.
Thundercracker sent a query to Skywarp and got a reply. âTransmitting coordinates,â he said matter-of-factly, and did so. Starscream turned and soared off the roof, transforming as he did so, while Thundercracker sent a swift transmission to Skywarp to tell him what to expectâand to ask him to at least hear Starscream out. Because this might be their last chance to come back together as a trine. Thundercracker could live without a home in Polyhex, without a future in the Decepticon Army, without a great many things. But not without the wingmates heâd once thought heâd lost for ever. He would do anything in his power never to lose them again.
***
If he hadnât been aware of where to go, Starscream knew Skywarp would be impossible to find. There were simply too many hiding spots and concealed places in the city ruins, such that no number of overhead flights would be successful, and on top of that, Skywarp might teleport away at the first indication that heâd been seen. Starscream could only hope that wouldnât happen now. Even Thundercracker might not be willing to give him a second chance if things went wrong again.
Starscream circled a low courtyard with a wall that had arches built into it, caught a glimpse of black armor almost unseen in the shadows of one of those archways, and cut his speed. He transformed as he fell, though he barely felt the impact when his feet hit the ground. The courtyard was empty except for a single bench and a circular hollow which might have been a pool at some point. On the other side of the hollow, leaning against a wall with his arms folded across his cockpit, Skywarp gave him a single wary look. His optics glowed redly in the gloom, but at least he didnât seem angry.
Telling himself that if he could live through being taken apart in front of all the Seekers, he could do this, Starscream swallowed what remained of his dignity. âIâm sorry I said that.â
There was no reply, so he supposed he needed to continue. âThundercracker told me none of this is your fault,â he said, staring down at his feet, âand heâs right. I shouldnât haveââ
âI donât care about that,â Skywarp interrupted, and Starscream looked up. He doesnât care? Then why am I doing this? âI just want things to go back to the way they were.â
Not happening, Starscream thought unhappily. Skywarp wanted things to be what they were before theyâd left Vos, and Starscream longed to go back to Polyhex in accomplishment and victory, rather than trailing in with his wings held low. Neither of them were going to get what they wanted.
Skywarp took a step out from under the archway, though he didnât come any closer. âEven if we go back, this wonât change, will it?â His voice was tired and dispirited. âYouâll still be⊠different.â
Starscream would have given anything to be seen as the same mech heâd been before any of this had happened, back when his wingmates had supported him unreservedly and the other Seekers had trusted him. Heâd thought things would be different when his weapons had been remounted, when heâd finally looked like any other Seeker, but once again his destination had shifted to be just out of reach. What more did he need to do?
âIâll get repairs to my vocalizer done once weâre back in Polyhex,â he said.
Skywarp shook his head impatiently. âI donât mean your voice. No one cares that you sound like a⊠um, like this.â Starscream gave him an irritated look, but Skywarp ignored that and went on. âI mean everything else. You donât talk to us any more. You donât even let us feel you through the bond.â
âThatâs because ofââ He caught himself just in time.
âBecause of what?â
Starscream couldnât answer. All his internal components compressed into a tight knot. He stared at the courtyard tiles, wondering why he had ever agreed to this. Was it too late to just leave?
âStarscream, please,â Skywarp said. âDonât shut us out any more.â
In all his life, Starscream had never heard Skywarp speak like that, in an appeal that struggled beyond the despair in his voice. He felt as though something had just cracked deep inside his chest, as though the fight was finally over for him.
âI think itâs a side effect of drug dependency,â he said, not looking up. âI couldnât feel either of you after that happened.â
âDrug dependency?â
âThey kept me doped up in Altihex.â
âSo you wouldnât try to escape, or fight them?â
Starscream nodded, following the line of a crack in the tiled floor with his optics. âI did try to escape once, at the start,â he said, when Skywarp didnât say anything. âThatâs how my vocalizer got damaged. Razor wire.â It was difficult to say, the words catching in his throat as though he was being garrotted all over again.
Skywarp moved closer, skirting the hollow in the courtyardâs center. âThey tortured you, didnât they.â It seemed a rhetorical question, so Starscream was silent, biting his lip. âIâm not stupid, Starscream. Not all the time, anyway. And back in Polyhex when we were waiting for you to be repaired, TC warned me that whatever had happened to you, it wasnât good, so I shouldnât ask you about it.â
âGood call on his part.â This had gone on long enough, and what Starscream wanted most was to put the past behind him, not dig it all up again to be displayed for Skywarp. He looked up, making an effort to seem brisk and self-assured. âAnd speaking of our wingmate, letâs go find him and get ready to leave. If weââ
âWait a klik,â Skywarp said. âI was wondering why they did that to you.â
âI donât want to talk about it, okay? Anyway, whatâs there to wonder? They were sadistic psychopaths who would have done that to any outsider unlucky enough to be in their power.â
âThen why didnât they do anything to me?â
âThey kept you in stasis lock, you idiot.â Starscream spoke as bitingly as he could, hoping that would distract Skywarp. âI realize you canât remember any of it, butââ
Skywarp made a pfft sound. âStasis lock, big deal. Like I was saying, I kept wondering why. And then you told me that none of this would have happened if I hadnât let them know I could teleport.â
âI shouldnât have saidââ
âThey wanted that tech, didnât they?â Dawning realization showed on Skywarpâs face. âMy warp drive.â
Starscream gave up and nodded. Heâd lost this battle too, he supposed, so the only thing seemed left to do was to hope it would be over soon. Skywarp sat down on the bench as though he didnât have the energy to remain standing any longer.
âI told one of their medics,â he said quietly. âAfter he repaired my wing flap, he did a quick scan and routine maintenance check, and when he was done he asked me about the internal components he couldnât recognize. I wish Iâd made something up, but I never thought a medic would sell out a patient like that. Did they manage to replicate it?â
Starscream shook his head. Thundercracker had been right; Skywarp hadnât been at fault for any of that.
âBecause they couldnât access the software,â Skywarp said, âand they didnât want to risk bringing me back online to get it if they felt sure Iâd âport out of there. But they thought you couldâŠâ
He paused, so Starscream filled in the rest before Skywarpâs imagination could run away with him. âI told them I was searching for you and that I was your wingleader. They assumed that meant youâd obey me without question, so if I ordered you to cooperate, youâd do it. Of course, if that happened, theyâd have killed us both once they had what they wanted.â
âWhy didnât you tell us?â
âI donât even want to remember it, Skywarp! Let alone spill all the juicy details for you.â
âI didnât mean me and TC. I meant all of us.â
All of us? âOh, thatâs even better,â Starscream said. âI canât think of anything Iâd like more than for every Seeker to see me at my lowest.â
âItâs notâŠâ Skywarp stopped, his gaze shifting past Starscream to something in the sky. Starscream turned and looked up too, at a speck in the distance that was coming in fast, and as it neared them, the blue paint and red stripes were visible. Well, he supposed, this was all to the good. As soon as Thundercracker rejoined them, they could start the long journey back.
âI told him,â Skywarp said, waving a hand between himself and Starscream to indicate what he meant. âAbout all this.â
Of course you did, Starscream thought, but he shrugged. Skywarp never kept secrets from his wingmates, and at least that saved Starscream from having to make any more explanations. The distinctive rumble of powerful engines reached his audials, and before long Thundercracker arrowed in on their location, dropped out of the sky, and landed in the courtyard.
âYou two okay now?â he asked without preamble.
Skywarp nodded. âBut he wonât tell anyone about⊠you know.â
âI didnât think he would.â Thundercracker sounded resigned. âWell, if he doesnât want to, he doesnât want to.â
âStop talking about me as though Iâm not here!â Starscream said, irritated.
âSorry, Starscream,â Skywarp said, and got up. âSo, whatâs the plan now?â
Starscream was still a little annoyed, but the question reminded him that they needed to focus on the practicalities of the immediate future. âWe collect whatever we canât leave behind,â he said. Though that didnât apply to him, because all he needed from Vos was with him now. âThen we refuel and leave.â
Thundercracker frowned. âHow many Seekers is Megatron expecting?â
âHe would have been happy to have one,â Starscream growled. He dreaded having to report this failure to Megatron. âHe should be grateful heâs getting three times as many.â
âDid you tell him?â Skywarp asked.
âAbout what?â
âAbout what they did to you in Altihex.â
âIn where?â Starscream asked pointedly.
âAltihex. Itâs that city nearly two hundred mechanomiles fromââ
âI know where it is!â Starscream snapped. What had he ever done to end up with a wingmate like this? Did the universe hate him?
Thundercracker rubbed his upper lip in a transparent attempt at hiding a smile. âYou should know better than to play stupid with him,â he said to Starscream.
âYeah, heâd win with experience,â Starscream said in his most scathing tone.
âAnd donât you ever forget it,â Skywarp agreed. âSo, did you tell Megatron?â
Starscream gave in again. Besides, as secrets went, this one wasnât painful to recall. âHe could tell,â he said. âThere was a reason I needed repairs. Anyway, I didnât have a choice. He questioned me incessantly, and it wasnât like I could slip out when he was looking the other way.â
Suddenly Thundercracker didnât look in the least amused. âBecause he kept you locked up?â
âThat, and I couldnât fly.â
âYou couldnât fly?â
âSomeoneâs coming,â Skywarp said, looking back in the direction of Vos.
The three Seekers in the distance were far enough that Starscream couldnât make out their colors, but a moment later a ping came through on his comm. âYou guys there?â It was Ramjet. âWe need to talk before you leave.â
Before you leave, not before we leave. But at least Ramjet and his wingmates could be trusted, so Starscream transmitted their coordinates, and moments later, engines roared overhead as the three of them came in to land, raising a cloud of dust from the ground. Smoke drifted from their heated turbines.
âPrimus,â Thrust said, staring at the split in Starscream's instrumentation canopy. âWhat happened to you?â
Starscream glared back. âIs that what you came to talk about?â
Ramjet exhaled audibly through his vents. âThrust,â he said to his wingmate, âStarscream is clearly very sensitive. Try not to upset his fragile emotional equilibrium any further.â
Starscream was only surprised that steam didnât hiss from between the plates of his armor, but any reply he could make for now would just confirm what Ramjet had said, so he clamped his mouth shut. Ramjet paused, obviously waiting to see whether Starscream would rise to the bait, but when that didnât happen, he got down to business.
âI thought you guys might want to know.â He looked around at the three of them. âWarhawk is working in public safety now, and Blacktalonâs got a cushy job in the communications bureau.â
âWhat?â Skywarp looked incredulousâas anyone would, Starscream thought, because Seekers simply werenât considered suitable for any work other than recon and patrols. They certainly never got positions in any sector of the Vosian government, employment with solid steady pay that they would never need to risk their lives to earn. But at once it was obvious how that had happened.
âAquiline was collaborating with Farsight, wasnât he?â he said.
Ramjet nodded. âAnd word in the sky is that thereâs an even better reward for him. From now on, heâs going to be our leader.â
Our leader? Starscream thought. A few times in the past, the Seekers had discussed electing someone who could represent them and look out for their best interests... and each time, something happened to sabotage such efforts, usually by potential leaders being discredited in some way. Or being sent on assignments which took them far outside Vos.
âThe Presidium, who else?â Dirge looked even more morose than usual.
Thrust nodded. âYeah, none of us want him in charge. Even Starscream would do a better job there.â
Starscream could tell when he was being deliberately needled, not that that made it any easier to ignore. But he did so now, because there was a far more important matter to deal with. âWhat are you going to do about this?â he asked.
Ramjet shrugged. âNot sure yet. But if you want to teach Aquiline a lesson before you leave, weâll help in any way we can.â
So that was why they were here. It wasnât because of friendship, it was to see if he could take their new overseer down a notch. But Starscream pushed the momentary resentment aside, because he couldnât afford to indulge that either. Instead, he considered everything Ramjet had just told him.
His first thought was that none of that was his problem. The other Seekers had turned on him en masseâhe would never forget the shouts and accusations coming at him from all sidesâso now they could get a taste of life under their new leader. But he had to admit that no one deserved to have Aquiline as their commanding officer, except maybe for his wingmates.
âHeâs going to be a pawn of the Presidium,â he said, frowning. âDo his wingmates support that?â
Ramjet grimaced. âDid you ever hear about how he managed to became their wingleader? He sent them both to the repair bay, thatâs how. And told them that if they ever questioned his authority, heâd do worse.â
Thundercrackerâs expression darkened even further. âWhat a slagger.â
No wonder he was now trying to give them something to make amends, Starscream thought. Or, more likely, to manipulate them into thinking he actually wasnât that bad a wingleader. Seekers were warbuild, but that didnât mean it was in the least normal for them to harm their own kind, and especially not for self-advancement.
A slow fury unfolded in him, hot as though heâd swallowed an ember. Everything heâd gone through had happened because heâd refused to sell out his wingmate, and yet he was being all but exiled, leaving Vos with nothing. Whereas Aquiline had once beaten both his wingmates so badly theyâd needed repairs, but he was being rewarded with power and authorityâeven as a puppet ruler, heâd still have those. How was that fair? How was any of it fair?
No, he thought. Iâm not going to let that happen. Maybe thereâd be no way out of this, maybe whatever he tried would fail, but he didnât have lot more left to lose, did he? Heâd never let the apparent hopelessness of a situation stop him before, and whatever he tried, it would be better than doing nothing.
And he wanted some payback. Not so much from Aquiline; he was a tool, and Starscream suspected Aquilineâs own wingmates might deal with him if they were given an advantage to work with. No, it was Farsight who Starscream wanted to see defeated. Farsight had orchestrated this, and he represented everything in Vos that kept Seekers suppressed and divided, second-class citizens at best. The heat spread out through Starscreamâs frame, tingling down to the tips of his fingers, but his mind was sharp and clear as a shard of glass.
âI have an idea,â he said.
âYeah?â Ramjet said, clearly waiting to hear it.
Starscream had almost forgotten that Ramjet and his trine were still there. For a moment he thought of telling them they could leave, but reality intruded. This was something he couldnât do alone. Although he rarely asked for help even from those he trusted, if there was any time to make an exception, the time was now. A good thing they were so far from Vos, because at least they didnât need to be concerned about hidden listening devices here.
âThis is what weâre going to do,â he said. â
When Starscream returned to their quarters, his guns had been remounted to his upper arms, and despite all of Thundercrackerâs worries, he couldnât stop a smile surfacing. Skywarp, naturally, went further. He whistled, something not many Seekers could do, and Starscream looked a little self-conscious at being the focus of both his wingmatesâ attention.
He sat down on his berth and rubbed at the long barrel of one gun as though trying to remove a scuff. âIt took longer than I expected,â he said, staring down at his arm. âThere was a lot to be reconnected and calibrated, and the medics wanted me to try a little target practice afterwards to make certain there was nothing more to be done.â
His voice was flat, the recitation factual. Skywarp exchanged a quick look with Thundercracker and then pretended to be busy repairing a broken tool. Thundercracker cleared his throat.
âWell, weâre glad thatâs taken care of,â he said. âNothing happened while you were gone.â
Starscream nodded without meeting his optics, and a heavy silence fell. Thundercracker felt even heavier, as though there were weights pulling him down. This was good, he told himself. Starscream looked completely normal again, and he could defend himself easily now, which was even better.
Except heâs not completely normal, is he? he thought. Starscream had changed too much, and some of that change showed even after the restoration of his guns. Even with his wingmates, he was tightly closed-off, withdrawn. Thundercracker tried to remember the last time heâd seen Starscream smile, and realized it had been the day theyâd split up after leaving Vos, after Starscream had said they would approach different cities to complete their mission faster. âGood luck, you two,â heâd said with a grin, his expression cheerful and undaunted.
He still had the same confidence, Thundercracker thought. Outwardly, anyway. But otherwise? Nothing was the same. Maybe nothing would ever be again.
No, he couldnât think like that. Struggling to push the bleakness away, he sat up and checked his fuel level, which hovered at half-point. But that was enough for a flight. The three of them hadnât flown for fun since before theyâd been separated, and if anything could brighten Starscreamâs mood, thatâ
A sharp ping on his commâs Seekerwide channel put an end to that, though Skywarp was faster and accessed his own comm first. âA summons from the Presidium?â he said, frowning.
âIn the common hall.â Starscream pushed himself off his berth and went to the door.
Why would the Presidium want to speak to all of them? Thundercracker wondered. The Presidium had as little as possible to do with Seekers; Starscream had been right about that much. It was the whole reason the liaison officer appointed to act as a go-between was a grounder, and Thundercracker had once overheard Farsight refer to his meetings with the Seekers as âslummingâ. He could only hope that the Presidium hadnât decided that Starscreamâs proposition was treason or something of the sort.
The common hall was half full when the three of them reached it, and they quickly found places on a bench. At least they wouldnât be standing in the center of the floor this time, all optics on them. As more Seekers came in, several of them glanced at Starscream, clearly noticing that his guns were back, but no one had a chance to speak to him before Farsight entered. He strode to the center of the floor at once, and held up his hands for silence.
âThank you,â he said, raising his voice although they rarely had difficulty hearing him when he spoke at a normal pitch. The room looked simple and utilitarian, but it had been designed with both flight and acoustics in mind, and now Farsightâs voice seemed to echo off the walls. âThank you, all of you, for responding to the summons. I know there are demands on your time so I wonât take up much of it. In fact, the Presidium wouldnât have called this gathering if the matter at hand wasnât so serious.â
He paused either for air or for effect, and Starscream spoke into the silence. âSo what is the matter at hand?â he asked.
Farsight turned to stare at him, optics narrowing a little. âIâm glad you asked, Starscream, because it has to do with you.â He swung around to take in the rest of the gathering. âAny Seekers who wish to leave Vos and go where they please are free to do so, as long as Starscream is telling the truth to you all. If this isnât the case, though, the Presidium must step in for the common good.â
For a moment there was a stunned silence. Then the entire hall broke into exclamations, most along the lines of Vos being a free city whose citizens were allowed to leave if they wanted to do so. It wasnât up to the Presidium to give them that choice; it was their right to begin with. Farsight raised his voice even further to be heard.
âWe cannot allow Vosian citizens to be taken advantage of!â he shouted. âWe cannot allow any of you to be led into a trap!â
âWhat trap?â someone demanded. Thundercracker didnât see who it was because he didnât look away from Farsight.
âWhat makes you think Starscream isnât telling the truth?â Archon looked around irritably. âShut up, everyone, and let him answer!â
The clamor died down, and Farsight spoke again. âI received a transmission from a group of mercenaries who Starscream had dealings with recently,â he said. âFrom what they told me, the whole reason Starscream was detained in Altihex was that he walked into an obvious ambush. Ideally, he would have corrected his mistake by escaping, but he failed to do so, so he remained in Altihex until he was handed over to Megatron, who installed him in his personal quarters.â His mouth turned down at the corners, which Thundercracker suspected was an attempt to look sad. âThat must have been so difficult for you, Starscream,â Farsight continued. âI know how all of you feel about grounders and crawlers, and here you were having to submit to one whenever he chose to make use ofââ
âThatâs not what happened.â Starscreamâs voice was taut, held under rigid control.
âOh?â Farsightâs optic ridges went up. âWhich part of it is inaccurate?â
âI didnât submit to him, as you put it.â
âSo he raped you?â
âNo!â Starscream snapped. âIf at any point Iâd refused, he would have stopped.â
âYou were hardly in a position to refuse, were you?â Farsight shot back.
âIâm hardly in a position to recruit anyone for the Decepticon cause either, am I? Not being in a good position to do something has never stopped me from doing it if I felt it was necessary.â
Good for you! Thundercracker thought, hoping Starscream sensed that he liked the comeback. Then he remembered that he could no longer detect anything about Starscream through their trine bond, which meant Starscream had no idea what he felt either.
âSo why didnât you refuse him, then?â Archon called out.
âI was alone, andââ Starscream paused for an instant, then went on. âAnd heâs attractive for a grounder. Intelligent, powerfulââ
âWait, you were alone?â Archon frowned. âI thought Skywarp was there too.â
Farsight sighed. âSadly, no, he wasnât. That was yet another lie Starscream told us. Perhaps living with Decepticons, not to mention hopping eagerly into their leaderâs berth, does that to your moral compass, assuming you had one to begin withââ
âLeave him alone!â Skywarp was on his feet at once, optics bright with rising anger. âHe didnât have a choiceââ
âMegatron didnât know Skywarp was also a prisoner in Altihex,â Starscream cut in, getting up too. âI was offered to him as payment for a debt, and the Altihex authorities never told him about Skywarp. But he found out from me, and during the battle that began and ended outside the gates of Polyhex, the two of us rescued Skywarp from theââ
Farsight snorted. âThis ruthless warlord fought another city-state to rescue a Seeker he didnât even know? More likely he has a Seeker fetish and just wants to âface as many of you as possible.â
Turbulence shook his head. âI donât believe someone who rules a city couldnât get Skywarp out of there any other way. Why couldnât he trade for Skywarp, or do some sort of prisoner exchange? Why would he need to start a battle?â
âYeah, who in their right mind would go to battle over Skywarp?â Warhawk jeered. âIf ignorance is bliss, Skywarp must be the happiest mech on the planet, but Megatron was willing to sacrifice troops for him anyway?â
âI agree,â Blacktalon said. âIf the Decepticons always do this sort of idiotic thing, their future will be one of constant warfare. Iâm not interested in being a part of that.â
Ramjet made a disgusted sound. âStarscream, just tell us the truth!â he said, sounding as though he was half a klik away from storming across the hall and shaking a few answers out of Starscream.
âYes, what really happened?â Archon demanded. âBecause weâre not going to the next room, let alone to a foreign city, if we canât trust what weâre being told about the place.â
Aquilineâs grin was victoriousâbecause this time, Thundercracker thought, he hadnât even needed to confront them to get what he wanted. âGo on, Starscream, tell the truth for once,â he said. âTell us all about what you did in Polyhex.â
âSilence!â Farsight shouted to be heard over the chaos. âItâs entirely possible that servicing Megatron in the berth was Starscreamâs only way of paying off the cost of his repairs or upkeep. We have no way of knowing for sure. What we do know is that we only have Starscreamâs word for it that youâre actually wanted in Polyhex. If Megatron values you at all, shouldnât he have sent a little more than this? Not that I expected gifts or tribute, generous though that would be, but why not send a document, some official statement of intent? We have nothing except Starscreamâs word, and at best, Starscream is hiding something. At worst, he will lead you into a place you have never seen, to have Primus knows what done to you. Is that what you want? Any of you?â
No one answered. Thundercracker gripped the edge of the bench so hard his fingers hurt, wishing he could find some way to counter all that, although he knew Farsight would find a way to twist or tear apart anything he said. Beside him, Starscream stood motionless, as if he was waiting for this all to be over.
Naturally, Farsight hadnât finished. âOh, and before I forget,â he said, pointedly turning his back on them to address the other Seekers, âthe last thing the mercenaries claimed is that Starscream instigated the battle between Polyhex and Altihex, and this pay-docking may well be punishment for that. Because even though Starscream likes to pretend differently, he is a creature of chaos, and he brings about nothing goodânot for the Decepticons, not for other Seekers, not for anyone.â
Primus.
Thundercracker was too stunned to think anything else. The condemnation of Starscream was so powerful that not a single voice spoke up in his defense, and Starscream himself said nothing either.
He turned and strode away instead, towards the doors. Thundercracker shook off what felt like an instantâs paralysis and went after him, while Skywarp beat them both to the doors, teleporting there to hold them open. The silence in the hall felt frozen, infinite. Even Farsight didnât rub it in with some mocking comment about how Starscream was running away like a coward, although Thundercracker suspected that would come later, once the doors closed behind them.
But it didnât matter. Nothing mattered any more. As soon as they were outside the common hall, still without saying a word, Starscream lit his engines and transformed. Thundercracker and Skywarp followedâwhat else was there to do?âas he soared up and headed out of the city.
***
Starscream said nothing as they flew on, leaving Vos to sink down to a speck in the distance behind them, but it didn't take Thundercracker long to realize they were heading for the city ruins. Probably because that was the only place Starscream could now go. Their fuel levels certainly weren't enough to fly back to Polyhex, and as for returning to Vos... well, after being on the receiving end of a hatchet job like the one Farsight had handed out, who would want to show their face there again?
The tumbled remains of buildings were soon in sight, and as Starscream shed altitude, Thundercracker and Skywarp did the same, flaps rising as they came in to land. Starscream transformed just above the floor of an old watchtower, its roof and walls long since gone, and the three of them landed on it.
Still silent, Starscream went to a block of cracked and pitted concrete that might have been part of a pillar a thousand years ago. He sat down on it, looking out over the city, his expression unreadable.
Skywarp gave Thundercracker a what-do-we-do-now look, and he shrugged. Wait for Starscream to decide their course of action, he supposed. Except Starscream didn't say anything, and he sat so still he might have been one of the featureless sculptures in the city, their faces blank from erosion. If someone had told Thundercracker that his wingleader had just descended into untreatable catatonia, he would have found that only too easy to believe.
Finally he couldn't take it any longer. "StarscreamâŠ" he began.
"Be quiet."
Well, at least Starscream could still hear them and speak to them, not that the curt order was much of an improvement. Thundercracker hesitated, unsure whether to obey. Yes, Starscream was their wingleader, but few if any Seekers meekly complied with orders that made no sense. Wingleaders earned their positions for three reasonsâtheir flying skill, their force of personality, and the respect of their wingmates. Right now, Starscream still had the first of those.
The others, thoughâŠ
Skywarp leaned close. âWe canât just wait here forever,â he whispered.
That meant Thundercracker had to say something, because Skywarp was not tactful at the best of times. âStarscream,â he said, trying for his most reasonable tone, âlisten to me.â He couldnât bring himself to say please, because he had never begged anyone for anything. âWe donât need to go back there or even see any of them again. We can leave nowââ
âI said be quiet!â Starscream didnât even look at him. âThere has to be a way out of this,â he said as if to himself.
Suddenly Thundercracker had had enough. He was more even-tempered than either of his wingmates, but his patience had come to an end. âYou know what?â he said. âIâm tired of this.â
That made Starscream turn around to stare at him, and Thundercracker went on. âWe get it, all right? We know you want to bring enough Seekers to Polyhex to earn us all a solid footing there, because if itâs just the three of us, weâll be stretched thin trying to meet all of the Decepticon Armyâs air support needs.â
âYeah,â Skywarp said. âBut you canât do it. Not after what happened there, and not when youâre like this.â
âLike what?â Starscream said, biting the words out.
âYou know what I mean,â Skywarp said. âEveryone can see youâre hiding something, so the less you say, the worse they imagine.â
Starscream got up, his optics narrowing. âWell, then, we should all be thankful they arenât imagining anything about you. Because none of this would have happened if youâd kept your mouth shut when you were in Altihex.â
âWhat?â Skywarp looked stunned. âYou think that was my fault?â
âStay out of this!â Starscream snapped, then turned back to Skywarp. âEverything that happened there was because of you. Because you had the bright idea of telling them you can teleport. And now, when Iâm struggling to secure a future for us, what in the Pit are you doing, other than making my life that much more difficult?â
For a long moment Skywarp was silent, and then he nodded slowly. âOkay.â His voice was toneless. âThanks for letting me know where I stand.â
Thundercracker had no idea what was going to happen now, only that he had to head it off, whatever it was. âSkywarpââ
âIâm not taking any more of this,â Skywarp told him. He spoke quietly, as though the time for shouts and arguments was long past, and when he glanced back at Starscream, it was as though he was looking at a stranger. âYou think Iâm such a deadweight?â he said. âFine, go to Polyhex without me. Good luck, TC.â
He disappeared in a flash of light. Thundercracker felt as though the solidity of the concrete beneath his feet had gone with Skywarp. What had just happened? He knew Skywarp had meant every word of what heâd just said, so what in the world were they going to do now?
Apparently the latest spam comment is that your work is wonderful, and it will become even more so if you delete all the verbs. This will put more of a focus on the nouns and adjectives, and more importantly, will help readers imagine the action, which is always more vivid when we picture it ourselves.
I rolled my eyes and deleted the idiocy. Wait, should that be "I my eyes and the idiocy"? Yeah, you can see just how much sense that makes. Hopefully not even young and inexperienced writers will fall for this. But even if it makes someone doubt their writing for a minute, that's just... well, a pathetic thing to do. (Also, seeing a notification that you have a new comment, especially for someone who gets few of those, only to find that it's spam, is not the best of feelings either).
So excited for the next chapter its not even funny!!!
I wonder of the reveal will be on starscreams abuse or on his time with the decpticons
So excited to info dump to my girlfriend when he wakes up
Thank you!
Starscream's time with the Decepticons isn't something he's intent on keeping secret, except for the part where he was a prisoner and got intimate with Megatron and ended up backstabbing him and got his mind forcefully read... okay, there's quite a few things he'd like to keep secret. But the abuse? No secrets there, because it never happened. Never. He doesn't know what you're talking about.
âYou think they might ask us questions too?â Skywarp said over their wingâs private channel.
Thundercracker felt better after recharging, but now the three of them were back in the common hall, and more Seekers were pressing in, crowding each other on the benches. The look in Starscreamâs optics was sharp and alert as he scanned the room, but Farsight was nowhere, which was a small mercy. He didnât look away as he answered Skywarp.
âRedirect any questioning my way,â he said briefly.
That was one of Starscreamâs faults, Thundercracker thought. Whenever there was a serious problem, Starscream was certain he could deal with it alone, and Thundercracker knew he and Skywarp had gone along with that in the past because, well, Starscream was their wingleader. But now Thundercracker suspected this was going to backfire.
The room was full again, and Starscream waited with an expectant look until all talk ceased. âSo letâs continue,â he said. âIâm sure youâve all had a chance to discuss my proposition, and if you have any other concerns, Iâll be happy toââ
âI have a few questions,â a voice cut in, and Aquiline got to his feet. Heâd chosen one of the upper seats close to the back of the room, which meant he stood much higher than Starscream did, and everyone turned to look at him. âSpecifically, questions for Skywarp.â
âSlag,â Skywarp said on the channel.
âDonât worry.â Starscream was as confident as always. âJust repeat everything Iââ
Static crackled across the channel, slicing off whatever else he might have said. Starscream stiffened, wings going rigid for an instant before he recovered control over himself, but Thundercracker realized at once that someone had anticipated what they would do. Their radio signals were being jammed.
The dismay in the link was as palpable as icy liquid trickling over his plating. He shut off his comm because there was nothing to be heard on the channel except for a sharp electrical buzz, but when he glanced at Skywarp out of the corners of his optics, it was a small relief that Skywarp managed to look as though nothing had happened.
âGo ahead,â he said to Aquiline.
Aquiline didnât waste any time. âWhat if some other faction offers us more than the Decepticons do?â
Starscream pulled a stylus and a datapad out of subspace, turned the pad onâit was blank, Thundercracker sawâand began to doodle on it as though he was taking notes. Was that to refocus attention on himself somehow? Thundercracker could only hope Skywarp would come up with a good answer, and fortunately he did, even if he needed a few moments to think about it.
âI don't think any other faction stands as good a chance of winning in the end,â he said. âAnd, uh, if there ever comes a time when everyone has to choose sides, we're better off getting in on the ground floor while we can.â
âIf there comes such a time," Aquiline said. "If you haven't fallen for posturing and propaganda, you mean. And even in the highly unlikely event that there's a war affecting us all, that doesnât make the Decepticons right, nor does it mean that we should join them. We should select our side because itâs the best possible choice for us, not because itâs our only choice.â
âSo what would be the best choice for us, then?â Skywarp countered.
Aquiline shrugged. âNot sure. But then again, Iâm not the one suggesting an upheaval of our lives so we can swear allegiance to a ruthless warlord. And yes, that concerns me too, because what will Megatron do if we donât join him? Attack Vos?â
Thundercracker privately suspected that this was exactly what Megatron would do eventually if the city didnât come under his control, and Starscream probably knew that as well, because he spoke up. âAnyone who wants to try finding a better place in another city can do so. Aquiline, for you I recommend Altihex.â
âIs your wingmate unable to answer questions without you leaping in to help him, Starscream?â Aquiline shot back.
âWhat else do you want to know?â Skywarpâs voice was hard, and Thundercracker could tell he was starting to grow angry.
Aquiline folded his arms across his instrumentation canopy. âHow can we be sure the Decepticons wonât treat us like cannon fodder?â
âWe have flight capabilities and special abilities that the Decepticons donât.â Skywarp sounded a little relieved that this was an easy one, though that made Thundercracker wary. âWeâre too valuable to throw away like that.â
âBut not so valuable weâll be paid even half of what other Decepticons earn.â Aquiline sighed. âStill, if the three of you donât mind being taken for granted by Megatron, thatâs your business. Iâm just concerned for the safety of anyone who travels to a city still reeling from a battle and its aftermath.â
âBattle?â three or four Seekers said at once. On all sides, they turned to look at Aquiline. âWhat battle?â someone else demanded.
âIâve heard there was a devastating battle between Altihex and Polyhex,â Aquiline replied. âAt least a thousand mechs dead. Anyone still feel that city is a safe place for us?â He paused for a split second. âNo comments, Skywarp? I thought you might have been on hand to see it.â
Starscream tilted his datapad a little, just enough that Thundercracker caught a glimpse of what heâd sketched on itâthe Decepticon insignia, surrounded by a starburst. Skywarpâs head turned fractionally in that direction too, and when he saw what Starscream had drawn, he actually managed a smile.
âYes, I was there,â he said, as confidently as though they had nothing to hide. âAnd the Decepticons won that battle. They dispatched a force that outnumbered them. I think weâre safe with them.â
Thundercracker nodded. âBesides, weâre warbuild,â he said, since no one had told him not to speak. âThe day I cower in fear from crawlers is the day I stop flying.â
The uncertainty and suspicion didnât vanish from everyoneâs faces, but here and there, the starts of smiles reflected the pride in his voice. A few calls of agreement rang out, and he didnât miss how one or two Seekers pumped a clenched fist in response. Skywarpâs smile widened to a grin, and his wings flicked outward a little.
âWhy donât we take a quick vote, guys?â he asked. âJust an informal one to gauge where we all stand?â
The hope starting to glimmer in Thundercrackerâs spark sank down at once, because a vote seemed a little risky. There was no way to walk back the suggestion, though. The other Seekers muttered among themselves, long enough that even Skywarp lost a little of his cheerful demeanor, but three of them raised their hands a little reluctantly. Ramjet hesitated, conferring with Thrust and Dirge, and finally they agreed as well, as did Archonâs trine. Archon had never got along with Starscream, but he was a good leader and always did what was best for his wingmates.
Starscreamâs wound-tight posture relaxed a little. Thundercracker wondered if telling everyone about the radio jammer would sway even more Seekers to their side, but he realized at once that if this was something which benefited Aquiline, he would know about it, and would probably be able to stop the jamming as soon as it was mentioned, meaning there wouldnât be any evidence for the claim.
What worried him now was the possibility that someone would ask why Starscream hadnât simply told them about the battle at the start, so before that could happen, he spoke up again. âSure, life wonât always be safe for us with the Decepticons,â he said, shrugging to show that wasnât a big deal. âIt wonât always be easy either. But itâll be interesting. Weâll be doing what we were made to do, what we were meant to do. Instead of being kept leashed, whichâletâs face itâis what we are here.â
Once again there were nods of approval, but Ghostwing, one of Snowsprayâs wingmates, got to his feet. âI just donât like the idea of being paid less,â he said. âLetâs negotiate that first.â
Slag, Thundercracker thought, and before he could think what to say in answer to that, Aquiline immediately took advantage of the opening. âSomething doesnât make sense here,â he said, frowning. âOn the one hand, this Megatron values our skills and abilities, but on the other hand, heâs going to pay us less.â
Seated beside Aquiline, Blacktalon grinned. âDid you antagonize him in some way, Starscream?â
âIâll bet thatâs it,â said Warhawk, from his place on Aquilineâs other side.
âYouâd lose that bet,â Starscream told him. âYou donât know what youâre talking about.â
Aquiline scoffed. âWell, if you and Megatron are on such good terms, tell me this. When will he decide that one Seeker is worth a whole mechâs pay? After weâve been there ten years? Twenty?â Starscream said nothing, though the cables in his throat stood out as though he was swallowing a lot of words, and Aquiline went on in a thoughtful tone. âIâm starting to wonder if thereâs more to all this than weâve been told.â
âSuch as?â Thundercracker demanded.
âWhat if Starscreamâs standing in Polyhex depends on how many Seekers he can drag along there in his wake?â Aquiline looked around. âWhat if he doesnât actually want whatâs best for us, and is only using his fellow Seekers as stepping-stones to rise in the Decepticon ranks?â
Starscreamâs lip curled. âYou think I canât do that on my own merits?â
âI think youâve failed spectacularly so far at whatever youâve tried to do on your own merits, Starscream,â Aquiline said, smiling. He folded his arms across his instrumentation canopy. âYou couldnât even complete your intel-gathering assignment on time, could you? Let alone ahead of schedule as you claimed you could do.â
Starscreamâs optics narrowed. âI said that to the Presidium, not to anyone else,â he said, so quietly that the other Seekers leaned forward to hear him, all talk hushing. âI told the Presidium that my trine would return ahead of schedule. Did they take you into their confidence and tell you all about what I intended to do?â
âOhh,â Skywarp said, and his grin returned with a vengeance. âSnap.â
Yes! Thundercracker thought. Aquiline looked taken aback, his superior expression replaced by visible unease. Suddenly all the looks directed at him were unfriendly ones. Warhawk fidgeted nervously, though Blacktalon was doing a good job of pretending heâd never met Aquiline before in his life.
Abruptly Starscream tensed, his optics flaring bright for a moment before he turned to Thundercracker. âMy appointment with the medics is in fifteen minutes,â he said. âI set an alert on my chronometer.â
Slag, Thundercracker thought again. The timing couldnât have been worse. But it was more important to get those guns replaced, to erase the constant visual reminder of what Starscream had been through. With his null rays back, heâd be one of them again, no longer set apart so much.
âGo on,â Thundercracker told him. The medics werenât Seekers, so they didnât prioritize repairs to Seekers, and if Starscream missed his appointment, there was no telling when the medics would see him next, if they saw him at all. Starscream hesitated a moment longer, then nodded and told the gathered Seekers why he had to leave.
âOh, itâs about time you got that done,â Acid Storm said, and there was a lot of agreement. Starscreamâs optics narrowed, but fortunately he thought better of saying anything sarcastic in return, and left.
Thundercracker wondered whether there was anything he and Skywarp could do to capitalize on their momentary advantage, but before he could think of a tactic, Aquiline said quickly that perhaps they could all talk further until Starscream had returned from his much-needed repairs. A chorus of jeers came his way, because there was no love lost between the Presidium and the Seekers, but Aquiline ignored that and soared upwards. He transformed as a skyhatch opened for him, and after a moment of hesitation, his wingmates followed him out.
Thundercracker and Skywarp were suddenly the focus of attention from several Seekers who seemed to think that now that both their wingleader and a potential Presidium stooge were gone, the two of them would be more willing to answer questions. Thundercracker told them that the only thing he and Aquiline agreed on was that this would have to resume when Starscream returned, and then Skywarp caught his arm and teleported them both back to their quarters. He clenched his jaws, staggering before Skywarp righted him again, because no matter how often he came along as a passenger on those trips, heâd never got used to the jarring sense of dislocation.
Skywarp gave him a little push towards his berth, and Thundercrackerâs knees folded as he sat down on it. The nausea started to subside, and he shoved himself back on the berth so he could sit with his shoulders to the wall.
âThat went better than I expected,â he said cautiously, because he didnât want to get his hopes up too soon.
âYeah.â Skywarp settled in on Starscreamâs berth, which heâd always said was more comfortable than his own. âBut Aquilineâs not gonna stop there, you know. And now heâs got the Presidium behind himâŠâ
***
âIt was going so well.â Aquiline bit each word off, his internal temperature rising for more reasons than the top-speed flight to the Presidium Palace. âAnd then he figured out that I was working with you. I have no idea how.â
Farsight shrugged. All his attention was on his computer terminal, and he didnât seem angry, though Aquiline knew from experience how deceptive that demeanor could be. âWell, Starscream has always been more intelligent than the average Seeker,â he said, then glanced up at Aquiline. âYou know what he hasnât been?â
Aquiline tried to think. âObedient?â
Farsight chuckled. âThat too, but the word I had in mind was lucky.â
It was true that Starscream had been quite unfortunate of late, though now Aquiline wondered if Farsight would think he himself was less intelligent than the average Seeker for not saying that immediately. Still, one thing he had learned was that if he was obedient enough, he didnât need to be either extremely clever or very fortunate. And he had certainly been obedient.
âSir,â he said, âabout what you promised usââ
Farsight waved a hand. âYes, yes. Blacktalon will start work in the communications bureau tomorrow, and Warhawk is now an officer in the public safety department. I know heâs excellent with numbers, but no one at the treasury will accept a Seeker as a colleague. More likely another employee would embezzle funds and find a way to blame him for that.â
Aquiline nodded, trying not to let his impatience show. âAnd for me?â
âYou?â Farsight made a show of considering. âWell, this disturbance Starscream has caused is a small one, but nevertheless, the Presidium would prefer it didnât happen again. And weâre certain it wonât, once the Seekers have a leader who can keep them in line. Of course, we would prefer a mech who has proven himself loyal and reliable.â
âOf course,â Aquiline said, a little of the tension draining out of his frame. They just needed to discredit Starscream once and for all, and then there would be nothing to worry about. Aquilineâs trinemates would support him without question once they knew they had secure, well-paying jobs, so they would never again need to undertake dangerous assignments outside Vos. And he would command the Seekers. It was as though all the luck that had deserted Starscream had descended like a shower of glittering light on Aquiline.
Wait a klik, he thought. Something didnât make sense. Why would Farsight consider Starscream unlucky after the general mood of the Seekers had swung in his favor? That would only happen ifâŠ
âYouâve found out something about him,â he said slowly. âHavenât you?â
Farsight swung his chair around so he was facing Aquiline. âI have indeed.â He grinned. âAll your amusing byplay with the other Seekers bought me enough time. It took the better part of a day, but one of my radio transmissions reached someone who knew someone who knew someone else who happened to have worked closely with our dear Starscream of late.â
Aquiline swallowed, because something about the liaison officerâs smile sent a chill crawling down his backstrut. âAnd what did this⊠someone⊠say?â
Farsight got to his feet. âYouâll find out very soon,â he said, and held the door of his office open for Aquiline to leave. âYouâre all going to find out.â
Before Vos was even in sight, Thundercracker received a terse comm from Starscream to say that heâd just been toldâprobably by Ramjet, Thundercracker guessedâthat the other Seekers were waiting to hear what had happened. Thundercracker said nothing, mostly because his input wasnât needed, but he groaned inwardly. The rest of the Seekers wouldnât take too kindly to being told they needed to continue waiting, which meant the three of them needed to fly the gauntlet now. No chance to rest, let alone persuade Starscream to do something other than continue on his course.
The Seeker section of Vos was surrounded by a high wall with a single narrow gate, restricting the number of grounders who could enter the sprawling commune. Not that many of them did. Thundercracker had sometimes felt a surge of relief at landing in the big central courtyard after a long journey, the knowledge that he was finally home, but nothing of the kind happened now. Starscream led the way to the canteen, the common building which was closest to the gate so that deliveries of energon from outside could be made quickly.
Thundercrackerâs fuel level was hovering close to the red, and he entered his personal code into the energon dispenser quickly, but all that happened was the display screen flashing a request for payment. Of course, he realized. Since theyâd been away for far too long, they were considered missing in action and wouldnât automatically be given energon no matter how low their levels were. Taking a platinum denarius out of subspace, he pushed it into a slot.
There was a long enough pause that he began to wonder if the cost had increased. That would be a problem since Seekers were only paid five denarii, which was roughly equal to five credits, every ten days, and the funds Thundercracker had been granted for their long-abandoned mission had run very low by now. But then the dispenserâs door slid back to reveal a full cube. Skywarp paid up next, but after heâd collected his ration, Starscream didnât make a move to do the same. Thundercracker glanced at him over the rim of his cube, and Starscream saw the look.
âIâm fine,â he said, shrugging.
Fine? Thundercracker thought. Starscream had last refueled with the two of them, nearly a day ago, so why wasnât he⊠And suddenly he knew the answer.
Without a word, he pushed his cube at Starscream, so abruptly that Starscream had no choice but to grab it or be splashed with energon. Then he turned away, ignoring Starscream, and fed another coin into the dispenser for a second cube.
In the display, he saw Starscreamâs reflection hesitate, but when neither Thundercracker nor Skywarp paid any attention as they consumed their own energon, Starscream reluctantly did the same. That was how to get around Starscreamâs considerable pride, Thundercracker had learned long ago. Act fast enough that Starscream didnât have a chance to refuse, and be careful not to give him any excuse to do so.
In a way, Thundercracker understood how Starscream must feel, because it was a wingleaderâs responsibility to look out for his subordinates, not the other way around. But these werenât typical circumstances, and what good would it do anyone if Starscream was on the verge of involuntary shutdown? So Thundercracker finished his energon without even tasting it, optics firmly averted, and only started to relax a little when Starscream tossed his empty cube in the disposal chute.
âLetâs go,â he said brusquely, and once they were outside, he transformed and soared up. The common hall, the only place large enough to hold all the Seekers, was built with skyhatches that opened automatically, and one slid back now as Starscream arrowed towards it. Thundercracker followed, though Skywarp reached the floor first in a flash of violet light. Thundercracker thudded down beside him, his frame absorbing the shock of a slightly-too-fast landing. Starscream landed and straightened up in the same smooth movement. At least that hadnât changed about him.
It was small comfort, though, and it faded fast as Thundercracker took in the gathered crowd which surrounded them. Benches, stacked like steps, curved their way around the walls of the great circular hall, and Seekers filled what looked like every inch of space, wings overlapping and jostling.
Someone called out a welcome, and other voices took up the shout, but a mech seated close to the floor stood and held up both hands for silence. He was Farsight, the Presidiumâs liaison with the Seekers, and the only mech in the room who didnât have wings. His paintjob stood out just as much, since it was grey with pink detailing, that color making it look as though he had soaked his hands in energon up to the wrists. He sat before the huge wall-mounted screen, which sometimes showed films and, very rarely, was used by the Presidium when they wanted to officially address the Seekers as a whole.
âStarscream,â he said with a smile. âWe had almost given up hope of ever seeing you again.â
âWhat a good thing you didnât write us off, then,â Starscream replied before he turned to look around him. Thundercracker didnât usually feel self-conscious, but he would have given a great deal to be seated on one of the benches and comfortably anonymous. All optics were on them, and he felt exposed, as though part of his armor was missing.
Starscream took in the gathered Seekers with a long look, as though he was checking that no one was missing, though Thundercracker guessed why he was doing that. Heâd answered Farsight only so that everyone would realize his voice had changed, and now he was giving them a chance to question him about it if they wanted to. All over the hall, Seekers exchanged quick looks, and a few optic ridges were raised, but it was some small consolation that no one said anything. Yet, Thundercracker thought.
âSo what happened to you?â Farsight asked. âWeâre anxious to hear about it.â
Murmurs of agreement swept through the hall, but they fell silent as Starscream began, firmly and without any preamble. âSkywarp and I were detained by the authorities of Altihex,â he said, âbecause they were curious about the special abilities of Seekers. Megatron, the leader of the Decepticons, got us out of there, because he wants Seekers to join his army. My wingmates and I plan to do so, and anyone who comes with us will be welcome. Of course, as the newest recruits, weâll be paid according to seniority. That means weâll receive a third of the pay of other âcons until weâre similarly establishedââ
âWhat?â The startled exclamation was from Crosswind; Thundercracker wasnât looking in his direction, but he recognized the voice. âA third of what the rest of his army makes?â
âYou canât be serious,â Quicksilver said.
âIf you fell for that, you need your head examined,â was Aquilineâs opinion.
Farsight shook his head slowly, his expression filled with stunned disbelief. âAnd you brought this frankly insulting proposition before your fellow Seekers⊠why again?â
Ignoring him, Starscream raised his voice to be heard over the clamor. Thundercracker longed to tell everyone to shut up, since when Starscream tried to speak loudly, his voice sounded worse. The high pitch combined with the strain made it seem static-filled, rasping against the audials, but Starscream continued regardless.
âDo you think weâre being treated all that well here?â he asked, turning away from Farsight to address the other Seekers. âWe needed permission from the Presidium for a security measure as basic as the wall around our living quarters, but we donât have representation on the Presidium because weâre not permitted to participate in elections.â
âBecause those arenât relevant to you.â Farsight folded his arms. âAnd if voting and democracy and all that is so important to you, why are you hoping to join the Decepticons? Last I heard, no one voted for Megatron either.â
Starscream gave him a cold look. âThe Decepticon Army is a hierarchy where position is earned by merit,â he said. âBy skill and accomplishment and loyalty, not frame type. Here, weâre discriminated against simply because weâre different from the rest of the citizens of Vos.â
Farsight looked as though Starscream had claimed they were being dissected alive for spare parts. âDiscriminated against how?â
âFor a start, weâre not allowed to even fly over the Presidium Palace, or go anywhere near there without permission,â Starscream said. âThe wealthier districts are no-fly zones as well, but until our wall was built, anyone could just stroll in hereââ
âYou donât think other mechs deserve security protocols too?â Farsight cut in. âBesides, most of us donât want jet engines roaring overhead when weâre trying to recharge. Please try to think of someone other than yourself. Besides, you can always fly outside the city. No oneâs stopping you from doing so.â
âSeekers live in lower quality housing,â Starscream retorted.
Farsight scoffed. âAnd moving to a city where youâre paid a third of what other mechs make will fix that?â
Starscream pounced at once. âSo you do admit weâre treated poorly here?â
Farsightâs optics narrowed. âWhy are you pushing this so enthusiastically, Starscream? Is Megatron paying you to do so?â
Starscream glared at him, but managed to reply calmly. âSince youâre a liaison officer rather than one of us,â he said, âI think you can wait elsewhere until we come to a conclusion about my proposition.â
That was clearly something Farsight hadnât expected. He flicked a look sideways, clearly gauging how much support among the Seekers that latest suggestion had. There was no disagreement or calls for him to remain, so he gave an agreeable shrug and left the room. Thundercracker knew they hadnât seen the last of him, because for all his affable exterior, Farsight greatly enjoyed the power he wielded over the Seekers in his position and wouldnât relinquish any of it.
But at least now they had a chance, and he sent an urgent comm to Starscream. âNow heâs gone, be straight with us.â
âI donât know what youâre talking about.â
âTell them what happened to you in Altihex,â Thundercracker said, willing him to listen for once.
âThat is no oneâs business but mine,â Starscream said icily, and addressed the other Seekers again. âEveryone goes through this,â he said. âWeâll be paid less at first because weâre still an unknown quantity to the Decepticon Army, but of course that will change with time.â
There were skeptical looks all around. âI donât know if Iâm willing to put up with that,â Acid Storm said. âAnd how can we be sure we wonât be ill-treated once weâre there? If we burn our bridges here, weâll have no choice but to take whatever happens to us in Polyhex.â
A faint smile touched the corners of Starscreamâs mouth. âOnce weâre in Polyhex, when mechs look at us, theyâll see Decepticons first, Seekers second. And all Decepticons are treated with respect by civiliansâbecause theyâll answer to the Decepticon High Command if they donât.â
That didnât actually address the issue, Thundercracker thought. Of course the ordinary citizens of Polyhex wouldnât dare treat Decepticon warriors with anything less than deference, but it didnât follow that other Decepticons would be equally civil towards Seekers. Before anyone could point that out, though, a white Seeker with silver wing stripes spoke up.
âStarscream, what happened to your voice?â he asked. âAnd your guns?â
Snowspray was always direct, but to Thundercrackerâs relief, Starscream answered as though it didnât bother him at all. âMy vocalizer was damaged during a fight in Altihex,â he said. âAnd my guns are still with me. They just need to be reattached, thatâs all.â
Snowspray frowned. âThe Decepticons wouldnât help you out there?â
âI didnât ask them to. I wanted to make a good impression on Megatron, not lead him to think I needed a lot of repairs.â Starscreamâs smile was a little more definite this time. âAnd I did make such an impression. He wants us in his army, and the perks of those positions more than make up for the reduced payâwhich I repeat is only temporary.â His voice hardened. âBesides, are we being paid anything here other than a rudimentary roof over our heads and just enough energon to keep us from dropping into stasis lock? If we want more than this pittance, we have to undertake assignments which might involve being sent thousands of mechanomiles away into unknown cities with no backup from Vos whatsoever. Which was how my trine got into that problematic situation in the first place.â
A wave of low mutters went through the hall, but no one contradicted Starscream, and he capitalized on the moment. âWhy donât we resume this once weâve all had a chance to discuss it further?â he asked. âMy wingmates and I need some time to rest as well.â
There were nods in reply, and Starscream thanked everyone for hearing him out before he led the way out. Thundercracker followed, relieved that Starscream didnât seem to want to make conversation, much less ask what they thought of what had just happened. He wasnât sure what to make of it. The overall mood had shifted a little in Starscreamâs favor, but given how negative the other Seekersâ reaction had originally been, that wasnât exactly saying much. And what bothered Thundercracker most was that Starscream hadnât told the truth about why they would get a lower pay. That wasnât the sort of secret even he could keep buried for long.
Outside, where no one could hear them, Starscream stopped and turned to his wingmates. âIâm going to the repair clinic to see about getting my guns reattached,â he said. âYou two get some recharge.â
He left without another word, so the two of them trudged to the single room that served as their personal quarters. At least nothing had changed there while theyâd been gone, though that was because the single room was so featureless. The walls were bare except for the berths placed against three of them, and under each berth was a storage compartment for their few possessionsâfield repair kits, cleaning and polishing supplies, and one or two other personal belongings, like an energy-knife Skywarp had once won in a game. Starscream kept a tiny collection of books under his berth.
Skywarp lay down on his berth, and the silence stretched out until he finally broke it. âWhat dâyou think is gonna happen?â he asked.
âI have no idea.â The only good thing, Thundercracker thought, was that Starscream was going to have his guns back. Thundercracker was almost used to the sight of him nowânot to mention the change in his voiceâbut the other Seekers clearly werenât, and he stood out oddly because all the rest of them were armed. Thundercracker lay down as well, trying to rest somehow.
Too quickly, though, the door opened and Starscream came in. Thundercracker knew it would have taken a lot more time than that to reattach the guns, since they would not only need to be remounted but reconnected to the neurocircuitry. Sure enough, Starscreamâs upper arms were as bare as before. He caught Thundercrackerâs glance and shrugged as he shut the door behind him.
âThey told me to come back in eight hours,â he said as he went to his berth and lay down. Skywarp sat up, exchanging a quick uncertain look with Thundercracker as Starscream offlined his optics. Resigned, Thundercracker got up and went to stand beside Starscream, who didnât acknowledge him though he had to have heard the footsteps coming closer.
âYou canât hide it forever,â Thundercracker told him.
Starscream didnât so much as online an optic. âIâve managed so far.â
Primus, why is he so slagging stubborn? Thundercracker wondered, and Skywarp took up the thankless task of banging his head against the wall that was their wingleader. âHeâs right, Starscream,â he said, clearly doing his best to be reasonable. He even remembered to speak as quietly as possible, because the walls were so thin that raised voices always carried into other rooms. âIf they donât find out now, they will once weâre back in Polyhex, andââ
âI donât recall asking for your opinion. Now either be quiet or get out. I need to recharge.â
Cables tightened visibly along Skywarpâs jawline. He got up abruptly and headed out of the room, where Thundercracker caught up with him a moment later. Skywarp stopped in the corridor outside, fuming.
âHe might be our wingleader, but thereâs only so much of this I can take,â he said.
âI know.â Thundercracker felt caught between the two of them, like the fulcrum to a balance that was starting to tilt out of control.
And part of that was his fault. In Polyhex, after the battle, Skywarp had asked what had happened while heâd been in forced stasis, but Thundercracker had told him to wait until Starscream was discharged from the repair facility and could tell Skywarp himself. Thundercracker had said that for two reasons, the first being that only Starscream knew the complete truth about his imprisonment in Altihex and his time in Decepticon custody. The second was that Thundercracker had wanted to respect Starscreamâs privacy as much as possible, so heâd said nothing.
What he hadnât expected was that Starscream would do the same. They were his wingmates, for Primusâs sake. They didnât keep secrets from each other, and yet Starscream remained obstinately closed-mouthed. Naturally, Skywarp didn't know why Starscream was like this now, and Thundercracker suspected the two of them were on a collision course. He could see it coming, and yet he didnât know what to do to avert it.
âJust ignore him for now,â he said. âAnd letâs get some rest.â
Skywarp shook his head. âIâll find someplace else to recharge. Ping me when this all starts up again.â
He vanished, and Thundercracker let his breath out slowly through his vents. He knew Skywarp would keep up the pretense of a united front when dealing with any other Seekers, but that façade felt more and more shaky. Out of habit he reached out through their bond, but while he could feel Skywarpâraw, prickling with tension beneath which ran a cold undercurrent of fearâhe couldnât sense Starscream at all. As though it was just the two of them, as if Starscream had ceased to exist.
Turning on his heel, he went back into their quarters. Of course Starscream was still there, motionless on his berth, his ventilations slow and even. Thundercracker lay down too, offlining his optics. He was only too aware that he needed all the rest he could get, but eventually he had to push his systems into forced recharge. The last thing he felt was a dull sense of relief as he fell into oblivion. And part of him longed to remain there.
In Vos, Starscream makes a proposition to the other Seekers : join Megatron's army, be part of their world's great future, and have better lives than being second-class citizens in Vos. But the government of Vos has no intention of allowing this to happen. And despite Starscream's best intentions, his own faults sabotage his mission and strain his relationships with his wingmates to the breaking point. If they can't salvage this, returning to Polyhex won't be an option, and everything they have in Vos will be destroyed.
Chapter 1 : Into the Fire
Take me out, to the black,
Tell 'em I ain't comin' back,
Burn the land and boil the sea,
You can't take the sky from me.
Sonny Rhodes, "Ballad of Firefly"
When Starscream said briefly that there was a course deviation, and banked into a turn, Thundercracker automatically followed, but a sense of dread settled into him.
This is it, then, he thought. There was only one reason why Starscream wasnât heading straight back to Vos, continuing on the knife-straight route heâd plotted and flown all along, a steady line from Polyhex to their home city. There was only one reason for him to suddenly deviate into an area fifty mechanomiles outside Vos where there was nothing but the remains of an ancient city mostly destroyed in a long-forgotten war, and the reason was that whatever Starscream was now prepared to tell them was something no one else could know.
Flying on Starscreamâs other side, Skywarp was silent, which meant heâd also realized they were heading into uncharted territory. Which was actually the last thing the ancient city was. There was talk that it was haunted by vengeful ghosts, rumors that all Seekers encouraged every chance they got, because that meant other mechs stayed away and the Seekers had the ruins to themselves. There were high rooftops and crumbling towers, tall archways and blind alleys and deep trenches, perfect for training maneuvers or games or just being away from everything else. Starscream liked it too, though what he really wanted was to build a proper slalom course.
At least, that was what heâd talked about before they had left Vos. Thundercracker had no idea what Starscream wanted now.
The crumbling city came into sight on the horizon, and for a moment Thundercracker wondered whether Starscream had decided to tell them what had happened after heâd gone incommunicado. But he doubted it, mostly because Ramjet, Thrust and Dirge were there as well, holding level with them as they flew onward. Even if Starscream was willing to confide in his wingmates, which was by no means a given, he was vanishingly unlikely to do so in front of any other Seekers, even those who were his friends.
The broken wall of the city flashed past beneath them and was gone. Starscream headed for one of the highest formations, a flat roof topped by an archway perfect for thread-the-needle. He somersaulted out of the sky, transforming as he fell, and Thundercracker was only a moment behind him. Skywarp and the other Seekers landed as well, and for a long moment there was no sound except for the wind sifting dust through the streets far below them, the hiss of hydraulics, and the muffled growl of engines settling into an idle.
Thundercracker sat down on a fallen slab of concrete, though his fuel levels were still good enough that he could have proceeded on to Vos without any need for rest. Surprisingly, theyâd been able to refuel at several cities along the way, with some of those even declining payment, and Skywarp had told him over a private channel that he suspected that was Megatronâs doing. âA word in an audial here and a reminder there that weâre guests of the Decepticons,â was how Skywarp put it.
âWe donât know that he actually did that,â Thundercracker had pointed out. âAnd heâs a grounder. Donât ever forget that.â Truth be told, Megatron was nowhere near as vile as some grounders, and Starscream would not be alive, let alone repaired, if not for the Decepticon leader. But it always took Thundercracker a while to trust someone, and if there was anything heâd learned recently, it was that some grounders stared with greedy and calculating optics at the shapes of jet planes streaking overhead.
He tipped his helm back and looked at the skyâperfect weather, not a cloud in sight. Except for the ones weâre about to fly into, he thought, and as if on cue, Starscream began.
âI need to tell you all something before we report in,â he said.
His voice was calm and steady, but Thundercracker wasnât fooled, because Starscream would have sounded absolutely certain of himself no matter what he felt beneath the surface. Thrust and Dirge sat down as well, but Ramjet remained standing, arms folded across his instrumentation canopy.
âOkay, go on,â he said.
âMegatron wants to recruit Seekers for his army,â Starscream said. âAs many of us as possible, anyone whoâd like to join up.â
At least heâd plunged right into it, but Thundercracker wondered why the secrecy. This was hardly information that could be kept for-your-audials-only, nor was it the bad news heâd been bracing for.
âHas Megatron extended this offer to the Presidium?â he asked.
Starscream shook his head. âThe Presidium made their position clear a long time agoâthere are too many Seekers and we are little use to a city thatâs not at war. They should be pleased to see us gone. But even if they werenât, no one owns us, and weâre free to make our own decisions about where we go.â
The other Seekers exchanged uncertain looks. âYou think weâll be better off there?â Thrust asked finally.
âIn Polyhex, yes.â Starscream spoke without so much as a flicker of doubt. âWeâll be needed there, which is more than can be said for Vos.â He leaned back against the archway in a deliberately nonchalant pose. âNot that being part of Megatronâs army will be easy, and heâs the sort of leader you never want to cross, but heâs fair enough. And if weâre Decepticons, anyone who harms us will make an enemy of him.â
âIn other words, youâve already made up your mind?â Ramjet asked.
Starscream nodded. âIâm not going to insist that anyone comes with me, butââ
âIâm okay with this,â Skywarp said at once.
That earned him a hard look, and although Starscream didnât straighten up from his casual lounging against the archway, his shoulders stiffened. âMaybe hear me out before you rush to open your mouth?â he said sharply. âThereâs one condition Megatron will impose on us if we join him.â
What in the world? Thundercracker was taken aback, because although Starscream could be sarcastic towards his wingmates, he didnât snap at them in front of others. It wasnât even as though Skywarp had said something stupid. On top of that, Thundercracker knew that the only reason Skywarp had spoken immediatelyâto say he supported Starscreamâs decision!âwas because heâd been kept in stasis lock while his wingmates had been fighting as best they could against the Altihex authorities, and he wanted to make up for not being there with them. That didnât deserve such a short-tempered reaction.
He took a swift sideways look at Skywarp, who looked as startled as he felt, but fortunately Skywarp seemed to have realized it was best not to say anything for the moment. Ramjet spoke up instead.
âWhatâs this condition?â he asked.
âWhatever other Decepticons of comparative rank earn,â Starscream said, âSeekers will be paid a third of that.â
âWhat?â Ramjet stared at him.
âAre you slagging serious?â Thrustâs optics flashed a blink. âWhy would he do that?â
Starscream let his breath out slowly through his vents. âThat,â he said, âis my doing. The authorities in Altihex imprisoned me when I went there looking for Skywarp, but later they gave me to Megatron as payment for a debt. I instigated a battle between Altihex and the Decepticons, so that I could use the distraction to get Skywarp out of there, but Polyhex took enough damage as a result that Megatron wants us to compensate the Decepticons for it.â
âBut why should we be responsible for that?â Ramjet demanded. âIf you started a battle, you should deal with the fallout of that.â
Dirge nodded. âRamjetâs right. I thought you said this mech would treat us fairly. Whatâs he going to do next, tap our lines for his armyâs fuel supply?â
Thundercracker met Starscreamâs optics. âIâm with you,â he said.
There was no way he could defend Megatronâs demands, so he didnât waste time trying. All he could do was show that no matter what happened, the three of them were staying together, and a little of the rigidity drained out of Starscreamâs posture.
Skywarp cleared his throat. âYeah, me too,â he said quietly, as if anything above a murmur might set Starscream off again.
Ramjet snorted. âWell, you can count us out. And I canât see anyone else in Vos signing up for this either.â
âDo you really think weâre being treated that well in Vos?â Starscream shot back. âBesides, this pay cut will only last until the damage from the battle is paid for.â
âThat would be the battle you caused, right, Starscream?â Thrust got to his feet. âYou come up with the brilliant idea of pitting two city-states against each other, you drag everyone else into your master plan, you cause considerable damage to a city ruled by a fragging warlord, and you flit out of it with a new paint job on top of everything. While the rest of us pay the price? Thanks but no thanks.â
âTake it easy, Thrust.â Thundercracker almost rose in his turn, but made himself remain seated. Matters were tense enough without any suggestion that they were about to turn physical.
Starscream straightened up. âIâll have the same pay cut, in case that wasnât obvious,â he said. âAnd if we join the Decepticons, we wonât be barracked with the rank-and-file. Thereâll be a hangar built for us on a hill.â
âWill we have to pay for that too?â Dirge asked.
To his credit, Starscream didnât hesitate. âYes. But Megatron will allow us to earn funds in any way we likeââ
âThatâs not a point in his favor,â Ramjet said bluntly. âThatâs something weâd have to do anyway just to keep a roof over our heads.â He looked at Thundercracker and Skywarp. âYou know what, once you guys finish paying off Starscreamâs debts, you can contact us, and weâll think about joining you. But until then, youâre on your own.â
Turning on his heel, he launched himself off the ground, transforming as he did so. His wingmates followed, and the trine streaked away through the sky. In a few kliks, they had dwindled to specks in the distance, and for a moment, Thundercracker wished he could go with them.
But there was no way he would allow himself to be parted from his wingmates again. The sound of jet engines grew fainter, and when it finally gave way to a silence that pressed down like something heavy and solid, Starscream let his breath out again in a sigh.
âNeither of you have to do this if you donât want to,â he said.
That brought Thundercracker to his feet. âWe were separated once,â he said. âItâs not going to happen again.â
Heâd hoped that would cheer Starscream up at least a little, but that didnât happen. Starscream only turned a little so he was looking back over the mechanomiles theyâd traveled, his gaze unreadable.
âI canât go back on my word,â he said, very quietly.
âYou wonât have to,â Skywarp ventured to say. âWeâll manage in Polyhex somehow.â
Thundercracker nodded. âWeâll be fine.â He was sure Megatron wouldnât allow them to be chronically underfueled or recharge on the streets, because that would hardly leave them in a fit condition for battle. Bracing himself for another torqued-off reaction from Starscream, he continued. âI just donât think thereâs much chance of getting anyone else to join us, and maybe we need to cut our losses now, because the reception we just got from Ramjetâs trine? Itâll be magnified tenfold if you go before the other Seekers.â
Starscream winced, but regained control over his expression again at once. âI have to try,â he said, turning away from the horizon to meet Thundercrackerâs optics squarely. âI just need to think of the right angle.â
Slag, this was going to be a disaster. âStarscream, if you had an entire geometry set, you couldnât get a right angle.â
Starscream glared at him, optics smoldering. âYou think this is funny?â
Thundercracker dropped his gaze. That rejoinder, he realized at once, had been poorly timed, but heâd only said it because Starscream was chin-deep in denial about how ill-fated his efforts were going to be. What could he say that would be convincing enough to the other Seekers to make up for Megatron's plans to short them? Especially since Starscreamâs temper was clearly⊠not at its best. He hadnât been like this before theyâd left Vos, and Thundercracker found himself wondering how much more he had changed.
What he wasnât wondering about, though, was the outcome of Starscream making a pitch towards the rest of the Seekers. He knew what was going to happen; that was going to backfire big-time, and soon. All Thundercracker and Skywarp could do was be there for Starscream when he had to pick up the pieces and return to Polyhex. Thundercracker could only hope it wouldnât be too bad, whatever they were about to go through.
Megatron hadnât intended to go to the repair facility so soon, partly because there were far more important matters competing for his attention, and partly because it would do Starscream some good to wait there cooling his heel-thrusters until Megatron finally got around to dealing with him. But when he got an urgent comm saying that a Seeker was darting around inside the facility, which had gone into emergency lockdown as a result, that was something which had to be stopped, decisively.
He drove to the facility in a testy mood, because the Carousel was shut down thanks to mechanical difficultiesâyet another part of the city that had been damaged in the battleâand he had to proceed there through the streets. By the time he arrived, the lockdown had been called off, but he was determined not to be in the least lenient with Starscream. That was a mistake heâd made in the past, but which wouldnât happen again.
The sight of Starscream made something twist inside his chest, but he ignored that. The surgeons at the repair facility had informed him as soon as Starscream was out of danger, and Megatron had deliberately not requested any further status reports, so this was the first time heâd seen Starscream since theyâd fled Altihex. The damage Starscream had taken was repaired, but there hadnât been either the time or the resources for a repaint yet, and what looked like half his chestplate was bare alloy, a dull silver that contrasted starkly with the red plating. There seemed to have been enough time for his self-repairs to take care of everything else, because there wasnât a scratch in sight, and even the dent Megatron had left on him was gone.
It was clear that Starscream wasnât going to speak, so Megatron did that before the silence could grow any more uncomfortable. âAs long as youâre a patient in this facility,â he said, âany Seekers who want to see you will obtain proper authorization and enter the repair centre through the front door. Is that clear?â
He spoke coldly and formally, though Starscream didnât look as though heâd expected anything different. âYes,â he replied. âDo you know when the medics might be able to assess me for discharge?â
âItâll be some time before they get to you. They have well over a hundred other damaged mechs to repair, thanks to a certain battle we just had.â
âWould it be compensation enough if I persuaded other Seekers to join your army?â Starscream asked.
Even after everything that had happened, everything that Starscream had done, that made Megatron's spirits lift a little, involuntarily. But he forced them back down. Starscream hadnât given him any guarantees and had only asked a question that might well be hypothetical, so Megatron wasnât going to get his hopes up. Especially not after heâd had to deal with the devastating effects of the battle on his city.
âThe handful of Seekers in the temporary housing outside the city wonât be nearly enough,â he said.
âWhat about the Seekers in Vos?â Starscream countered. âNot that all of them will agree, but I could recruit at least twenty.â
Twenty Seekers, and if Starscream was recruiting them, that meant he would be a part of the Decepticon Army as well. But they were still far from that being a realityâand more to the point, Megatron had no intention of trusting someone who had betrayed him once.
âYouâd have to go back to Vos to recruit more Seekers,â he said, only too aware that Starscream had put his wingmateâs life above the Decepticon cause and could very well do so again.
âWell, yeah,â Starscream said. âEven Iâm not that convincing when Iâm five thousand mechanomiles away.â
âAnd how can I be certain you wonât simply stay there?â
Starscreamâs optic ridges lifted a fraction. âDo you really think so little of me?â
âI donât know what to think of you,â Megatron said flatly. âGiven that youâve been lying to me from the day you arrived in Darkmount.â
At least that brought a touch of chagrin to Starscreamâs features. âI didnât feel I had a choice,â he said after a moment. âI was wrong, and Iâm sorry. But anyone can say anything, so giving you the best air support on Cybertron is what I can do to make up for it.â Megatron didnât respond to that in any way, and Starscream went on. âYes, youâll have to take my word for it that this is what I intend to do in Vos, and Iâm well aware that Iâve lied to you before. But I hope one thing you know for a fact about me is that I take my responsibilities seriously. I sent Skywarp into that⊠that situation, so I got him out. And I started the war that cost you a great deal, so Iâll compensate you in the best way I can.â
Megatron stayed silent, because heâd learned from experience that during negotiations, not answering often made the other party uneasy enough to walk back a request or make a concession. The tactic didnât quite work on Starscream, though. He looked away from Megatron, his thumb rubbing in tiny circles over his fingers, the most he could fidget with the cables that connected him to the monitors. But after a pause, he swallowed, his throat working with the movement, and met Megatronâs optics again.
âThereâs nothing more I can do,â he said.
âOh yes, there is,â Megatron said grimly. âThe shuttle we used for the transport of trade goods was blown up. The gates of Polyhex were completely destroyed, and theyâll need to be replaced. The walls require repairs in a dozen different places. Buildings nearest to the gates have significant structural damage. Most of the cityâs external infrastructureâroads, bridges, and the aqueductâhas effectively ceased to exist. And as for the Decepticons who died during the battle, thereâs no price high enough to be placed on their lives. Am I making myself clear?â
Starscream looked as though he wished he was back in Altihex. âWe can bring funds from Vos,â he said finally.
âThatâs a start. The rest is that until your debt is taken care of, all Seekers will receive a third of the pay that other Decepticons do.â
âWhat?â
âYou heard me.â Megatron knew he was taking a risk, and the battle had left the Decepticons in a precarious enough position that Seekers would have been incredibly useful to the army regardless. But that wasnât enough to compensate for all the damage the battle had caused. On top of that, rumors were going through the city that Starscream was to blame for it, because apparently the word âtreacheryâ had been mentioned in the command center of Darkmount, and given how many mechs had been there at the time, Megatron wasnât surprised that news had spread. Which meant Starscream had a steep uphill climb ahead of him if he wanted a life with any sort of stability in Polyhex.
Not that he seemed willing to accept that. He pushed himself up to a half-seated position, managing to get one elbow on the berth for support, and Megatron wondered if he would actually try to roll off it. âBut itâs not the fault of any other Seekers thatââ
âStarscream, if you were only one whose salary was docked, youâd have to work for me for the next five million vorns to pay it all off.â
âDidnât you say once that Iâd probably live to a ripe old age?â Starscream retorted.
âYes, but with you around, I might not.â
Starscream slumped back against the berth and looked up at the ceiling. âHow in the Pit am I going to spin this to them?â he said after a long moment.
An unfamiliar sensation stole through Megatron, something that felt far too soft for safety. He wanted to tell Starscream it would be all right, that they could work through this together somehow, and he had no idea where that completely irrational impulse had come from. Maybe it was just because Starscream seemed so unguarded in that moment, tired and vulnerable, and Megatron had to steel himself against any ill-considered displays of sympathy. To distract himself, he found a chair and brought it close to the berth so he could sit down.
âThatâs your problem, not mine,â he said evenly. âIn any event, you know Seekers better than I do.â
Starscream offlined his optics. âYeah, and I know theyâre not going to be happy about it.â
âYouâve taken on harder challenges than this,â Megatron said, though he knew the battle wasnât over for Starscream, not by a long shot. âAnd thereâs nothing to stop any Seekers from earning what they can when theyâre off-dutyâprivate hire, air shows, raids on bandit camps in the wasteland, anything you want as long as it doesnât jeopardize the Decepticon cause or this city.â
Starscreamâs optics lit back into life again. He was quiet, but Megatron could tell that a little of the burden had lifted off his shoulders. âAll right,â he said finally, turning his head to meet Megatronâs look with a steady gaze, âbut there are some things weâre going to require as well.â
Megatron lifted an optic ridge. âDo you really think youâre in a position to place conditions on what you owe us?â
âNo, but that never stopped me from doing so before.â
Well, heâd certainly recovered fast. âWhat are your conditions?â Megatron asked, giving in because that seemed the quickest way to get this over with so he could return to Darkmount. And because, although he would never admit it, deep down he rather liked the irrepressibility that couldnât be intimidated or even beaten out of Starscream.
âFirst,â Starscream said, âweâre joining the Decepticon army as an air support division. That means any missions or assignments to special forces are temporary. After those are done, we return to our own ranks.â
âVery well.â Megatron was a little wary at once; this was such a small thing to ask for that he suspected Starscream was working his way up to the major sticking-point.
âThat also means our officers are Seekers rather than other Decepticons,â Starscream said.
Megatron shrugged. âProvided those officers are competent and loyal, I see no issue with this.â Besides, Starscream had more than enough of those particular qualities.
âAnd weâll need separate housing.â
âSeparate housing?â
âYes. Iâm thinking a large hangar on that hill south-west of Darkmount. There might even be enough room for a slalom course which can be part of our trainingââ
âWho exactly is paying for this hangar and obstacle course?â Megatron cut in.
âWhy, we are. You can add it to our tally. In for a credit, in for a cube, as they say.â
âStarscreamâŠâ Megatron began. Even the expense wasnât as much a concern as the fact that Starscream was determined the Seekers would join the Decepticon Army as an elite squadron, rather than as a means to pay off a colossal debt. They might be the newest inhabitants of the city, but theyâd be establishing themselves from the start as separate from the restâand better, if they lived in a large, newly built hangar on a hill.
âYouâll get a lot from us, Megatron,â Starscream said calmly. âWe have the firepower and the flexibility and the speed to play multiple roles in your armyâscouts, patrol craft, bombers, shock troops. You saw what Thundercracker and Skywarp can do, and there are other Seekers with unique abilities that make them just as dangerous in battle. But in Vos, weâre second-class citizens at best, so Iâm not going to bring anyone across thousands of miles to undergo the same thing here. Weâre already going to be paid far less than other Decepticons, soââ
âAll right, youâll have your hangar.â Megatron could only be relieved that he wasnât a democratically elected leader, because heâd run the risk of being voted out of office for that one. But the prospect of recruiting Seekers with other unique abilities⊠well, at least the Autobots were likely to suffer far more than he would.
âThank you,â Starscream said, and seemed to be trying very hard not to smile.
âAny other demands?â Megatron asked flatly.
âFor now, no.â Starscream gave him a wry look. âI know this isnât what you want to hear, but at least now Iâm being upfront with you about where things stand. In any event, being in love with you doesnât mean Iâm not going to look out forââ
âWhat did you say?â Megatron asked, startled.
âI said at least now Iâm being upfront with you aboutââ
âNo, you said you were in love with me?â He still couldnât believe heâd heard that correctly. Which, now that he came to think about it, seemed to be on par with his usual reaction to Starscream.
âWell, yeah,â Starscream said, as if he was pointing out something which should have been obvious to any mech with functional processors. âIf I wasnât, we wouldnât be having this conversation, because I would never have forgiven you for what you did.â
âWhat I did?â Now he was being blamed for something all over again?
âThose threats you made in the interrogation room, and then having Soundwave read my mind.â Starscreamâs jaws tightened, his mouth setting in a thin line, but when he continued, it was in a slightly less accusatory tone. âActually Iâm not too torqued off about those because I suppose I gave you reason for them, but telling me Skywarp was dead⊠that was just low. And I fell for it, too.â
Serves you right, Megatron couldnât help thinking. âRemember what I said about Decepticon lies?â
Starscream nodded slowly. âEven more convincing than Decepticon truths.â He gave Megatron a hard stare. âWhy did you tell me that?â
Megatron felt as though his internal circuitry had just tied itself into a knot. He tried to think of a way to swiftly change the subject that might not seem suspicious, but nothing came to mind, and if he simply ignored the question, that wouldnât be much better.
âI was jealous,â he said under his breath.
âOf what?â Starscream asked, frowning.
âOf him!â
Starscream looked even more confused. âBut back then you'd never even met him.â
Why was this so difficult for Starscream to grasp? âYou told me he was your wingmate. Doesn't that mean you're mated to him?â
Starscream tilted his head a little to one side as if to look at Megatron from a slightly different angle. âHe's part of my trine,â he said. âWe've flown together for decades, and you couldn't take his place if you tried. But it works the other way around too. He couldn't take your place either.â
Megatron wasnât sure what that meant, but he refused to get his hopes foolishly up. âAnd Thundercracker?â
âHe's part of my trine too. Seekers fly in groups of three.â
âAnything else you do in groups of three?â
âWouldn't you like to know.â A grin spread across Starscreamâs face. âIt's so strange. I'm the one who reads every trashy romance I come across, but you're the one who buys into their cliches.â
âWhat cliches?â Megatron asked, wondering if heâd ever before participated in a conversation where he was insulted to this extent.
âThe idea that there's only one way to mate.â Starscream settled back comfortably into the berth. âOr that a relationship is a zero-sum game where anything given to someone else means less for you. Or that when you tell someone you love him, itâs a difficult admission that has to be wrenched from you practically at gunpoint, but when you finally manage to choke the words out, they change everything.â
Megatron wasnât sure what to say to that speech, mostly because he felt heâd had several things thrown at him in rapid succession and he needed a klik to recover. It was clear that Seekers took a different view of⊠of whatever this was⊠but perhaps that was to be expected from mechs who bonded in trios rather than pairs. What made less sense to Megatron was the idea that such relationships could involve more participants without sacrifices being made. If Starscream had another sparring practice with him, that was obviously a joor he wasnât spending with his wingmates, and when the three of them flew together, he could hardly be with Megatron simultaneously. Megatron knew himself well enough to realize he would hate coming second. Or, for that matter, third, given that Starscream had two wingmates. What he didnât know was how to deal with any of this.
Maybe I wonât have to, though, he thought, dispirited. One of the cliches Starscream had casually laughed off was the idea that an admission of love changed everything, and for Starscream, it didnât. It changed nothing, actually. It was like the apologies heâd occasionally mouthed during his early days in Darkmount, words that didnât influence actions. Because for Starscream, the good of the Seekers came first, just as for Megatron, the Decepticon cause came first.
âAre you okay?â Starscream asked.
Megatron suddenly realized that heâd been sitting there in complete silence, probably with a confused look on his face. âIâm fine.â
Starscreamâs optics narrowed. âYou look as though you just found out you had a terminal condition.â Suddenly his expression smoothed out into one of amusement. âOhhh, wait. Iâm guessing no one ever told you that they loved you, so now you donât know how to handle it?â
âDonât be ridiculous,â Megatron said shortly.
âSo someone was in love with you before?â Starscream shrugged. âWell, thatâs only to be expected, and I donât mind sharing. But do let me know if this unfortunate mech will prove to be a problem. I like to suss out the competition.â
As if anyone could be competition for Starscream, though Megatron would go to the Pit before admitting that. âWhat about your wingmates?â
âAs far as I know, theyâre not in love with you. Why, do you want them to be?â
âNo!â Megatron said, exasperated. Thundercracker seemed like a steady, reliable mech, but Megatron had serious misgivings about Skywarp. In any event, being in⊠being involved with one Seeker was enough of a pain in the processors without two more being thrown into the mess. âI meant what do they think of you having these feelings for me?â
âI havenât talked to them about it, but I doubt theyâll mind. Theyâve met you.â Starscream breathed out through his vents, and his optics went dark. âItâs every other Seeker Iâm not so sure about.â
âWhy would they have any issue with this?â
âWell, youâre a grounder,â Starscream said, as if it didnât matter in the least that Megatron was the supreme commander of the Decepticons. âAnd thereâs that minor detail of us going to be paid a third of what everyone else in your army gets.â His optics came back online again and he looked at Megatron. âBut I used to tell myself that if I could survive Altihex, I can survive anything. So Iâll deal with this.â
Megatron knew many mechs who were fearless in combat and who had plenty of courage under other circumstances too, but he wasnât sure any of them had a level of resilience quite like Starscreamâs. âWhatever happens in VosâŠâ he began, then hesitated, wondering if he was being far too lenient again.
âYes?â Starscream prompted.
Megatron made up his mind. He had authorized all of Starscreamâs repairs in the hopes of getting even one Seeker for his army, so even if Starscreamâs efforts in Vos didnât succeed, an entire trine, maybe even two, would be a good consolation prize. âEven if no other Seekers agree to join us at first,â he said, â you and your wingmates have a place here. As do the other Seekers who helped us in the battle. And youâll have that hangar regardless.â
The appropriate response to that was gratitude, so naturally Starscream said something completely unexpected. âYouâre in love with me too, arenât you?â
Megatron stared at him, so stunned that he couldnât speak for a moment. Starscream had spoken as though that was a simple statement of fact, and on top of that, he had the gall to look cheerful, his optics bright and a smile hovering at the corner of his mouth. âDonât make me laugh,â Megatron snapped, and had the small satisfaction of watching the smile vanish. âOr regret providing you with a home in Polyhex. Youâre useful to the Decepticon cause, nothing more.â
âOf course,â Starscream said politely. âI apologize for my presumption.â
âI would have to be insane to feel anything of the sort for you.â
âYes, you certainly would.â
Megatron had the distinct impression that Starscream was secretly enjoying this, and was using the courteous veneer as a cover to see how long he could get away with doing so. On top of that, Megatron suspected that he himself had been a little too vehement in that denial, so he decided to put an end to this now, once and for all. He got up from his chair.
âI wonât see you again before you leave,â he said brusquely, âso thatâs all.â His tone as well as the dismissive words seemed to dampen Starscreamâs spirits, because the only response he got was a nod. âOh, and I think these are yours.â
He reached into a subspace compartment and withdrew the long guns heâd snagged in the catacombs in Altihex, dropping them with a clank on the berth. Starscreamâs optics widened, and Megatron privately savored that; it wasnât often that he could take Starscream completely aback, instead of it always being the other way around.
âMy gunsâŠâ Starscream lifted his free hand, though he paused before touching the weapons, his fingers held inches away from them. It was as though he was afraid this was too good to be real. âWhere did youââ
âIn Altihex.â Megatron started for the door.
âMegatron.â
Something about the way Starscream said his name made him pause in the doorway, turning around. A blue hand now rested on the guns, which had been pulled close to Starscreamâs side, and there was something in his expression Megatron couldnât decipher. Something he had never seen before, and when Starscream continued, his voice was quiet as if he was sharing a secret.
âNo one who wasnât a Seeker has done anything like this for me,â he said.
A strange warmth spread through Megatronâs chest, but he ignored that. âDonât read too much into it,â he said, taking hold of the doorâs handle to close it. âWhat else could I do with those guns?â
Starscream smiled, and this time there was nothing casual or amused about it. âIâll come back,â he said. âWhatever happens in Vos, Iâll come back.â
He would, Megatron knew. When Starscream was set on a course of action, no one could deter him. And at the thought of Starscream returning, the new warm feeling filled him completely, thrumming in his wires, tingling in his fingertips. He wasnât in love with Starscream and he never would be, because it was hardly acceptable for the leader of the Decepticons to make a fool of himself over what was essentially the newest recruit to the ranks. But it would be good to have Starscream back, and it didnât matter how long that took. Megatron could wait.
âSee you later, then,â he said, and after the door closed behind him, he allowed himself an answering smile.
***
It was long past midnight as Megatron made his way back to Darkmount, because he had been inspecting the rebuild of the gates, which were currently still made up of hopes and scaffolding. Because the city had to be restored as quickly as possible, it hummed with activity even at that joor, a sound made up of the whir and grind of machinery, the gurgle of liquefied metal and the thud of heavy components being lifted into place. Night shifts were hard at work everywhere, Decepticon âcopter patrols sweeping overhead. Even a recent rainfall had done little other than slow everything down a little, and thankfully the rain had now stopped. Megatronâs treads rolled him steadily along the road to Darkmount, his headlights picking out hollows here and there where the road was pitted from the battle. The hollows were filled with still water now, each pool holding the reflection of a star or two.
The sentries at Darkmount stood aside for him as he approached. Tired as he was, he would have appreciated recharging for what remained of the night, but the first thing he saw on the terminal in his quarters was a priority-one message from Soundwave. Megatron accepted it, then stared at the screen in disbelief.
What did the idiot want now? It was unlikely that Prime was still online at that joor, but because Megatron wouldnât be able to recharge until heâd at least tried to deal with this, he sank down wearily into his chair. Then he prodded his posture back into its usual crisp military lines, straightened his shoulders, and accepted the transmission. Primeâs face appeared on the screen at once.
âPrime.â Megatron didnât waste any time. âWhat is it?â
âI take it the rebuilding of Polyhex is proceeding on schedule?â Optimus Prime asked.
His voice was carefully neutral, and that annoyed Megatron even more than the fact that the Autobots seemed to be well aware of what had happened. Not that that was entirely surprising, since the Autobots had never been above spying on their enemies.
âWhat rebuilding would that be?â he asked.
âDonât bother bluffing,â Prime told him. âWeâre aware that you plotted together with the authorities of Altihex to march on Iacon, but this⊠unusual, shall we say?... alliance fell apart. As all such collaborations between dictatorships do.â
âSo you contacted me to gloat.â Megatron waved a hand in a gesture of assent. âVery well, continue.â
Prime shook his head. âI contacted you because I hoped you would see the futility in your attempts to precipitate a war. In Iacon, popular sentiment has it that Primus Himself struck down those who would do us evil.â
âWell, considering that the chief minister of Altihex met his well-deserved death at my hands, that would make me Primus Himself.â Megatron allowed himself a smile. âHow flattering. You may begin worshipping me.â
âI said it was popular sentiment in Iacon. Itâs not a view I share.â
âYes, Iâm well aware that to you Iâm the opposite.â
âThat isnât the case either. I think youâre like anyone else, except for being in command of a faction of mechs, just as I am. Thatâs why I hope youâll consider ending this conflict.â
If he hadnât been so tired, Megatron would have laughed at the idea that he was like every other mech in the world. Nothing setting him apart at all, just like the mech who carried the Matrix of Leadershipâperfectly ordinary, really. Of course, Prime probably meant that as some sort of bizarre Autobot compliment, rather than the insult it was, just as he seemed to think it would be that easy to call a cessation of hostilities. Megatron wondered what the general response would be if he told his army that since he was like everyone else, they couldnât possibly prepare to bring the planet under his leadership. Go back to your lives, everyone, warâs over. Heâd be lucky if they didnât consider him a complete lunatic after that.
âAnd what would the Decepticons have to gain from ending this conflict?â he asked.
âTheyâd live,â Prime said bluntly. âOr wasnât Polyhex ruined enough from that battle?â
Megatron felt his lips draw back, and immediately forced his features into cold indifference again. âItâll take a lot more than one battleâfrom which our enemies fledâto subjugate my city.â
Above the battle mask, the blue optics narrowed. âWe could have attacked you,â Prime said slowly. âWe could have taken advantage of the damage the Altihex militia inflicted, and we could have attacked in force.â
âYou could,â Megatron agreed. That had been his greatest fear of late, but as each joor passed uneventfully, the city grew a little stronger. And even Prime would not let an enemy know of an attack in advance. âYou didnât. Your mistake.â
If Optimus Prime had hoped to have Megatron humbled by the Decepticonsâ temporary vulnerability and touched to his spark by the Autobots kindly refraining from taking advantage of it, well, heâd be disappointed. Prime leaned back in his chair as if he wasnât sure where to take this now, though he quickly regrouped and went on.
âDo you really want a world built on force and intimidation and ruthlessness?â he asked.
âDo you really think Decepticons never feel anything else?â
âSometimes itâs difficult to tell.â
âThen let me enlighten you,â Megatron said. âForce and intimidation, like diplomacy, are merely tools, and if they are whatâs necessary to build a better world, they are the tools Iâll use. You canât melt steel by venting gently on it, and you canât bring an entire planet under your leadership with feeble platitudes.â
âAnd where, in this planet under your heel, is there room for mechs who donât agree with you?â
âMechs can disagree with me all they like, as long as they submit to my authority.â Case in point : Starscream. âAnd the better their service to the Decepticon cause, the more autonomy they earn.â
âThatâs one difference between us, then. I believe autonomy, like freedom, is something Cybertronians have by right, not something they need to earn by bowing to you. And I believe youâve relied for so long on those tools that are familiar to you that youâve forgotten the use of others, like respect and compassion and mercy.â Primeâs voice hardened. âI think youâll find that the world you build through unrelenting conquest is not as peaceful as you imagine it will be, and your place at its pinnacle is far from an assured one.â
Megatron chuckled. âWhat is that, the Curse of Optimus Prime?â He shook his head. âMuch as I appreciate the dire warning, Iâll take my chances with my own aspirations rather than signing up to support yours.â
âIâm not asking you to be an Autobot. What I want is for us to find some common groundââ
âThere is none.â
ââand perhaps eventually form a partnershipââ
This was beyond ridiculous. âThe Matrix canât be co-owned,â Megatron said flatly. âAnd thereâs room for only one mech at the top of the Decepticon hierarchy.â
Prime folded his arms. âTell me, Megatron, have you ever seen anyone as an equal?â He didnât wait for a reply. âHave you ever treated a mech as anything other than a subordinate or an enemy? Or is that all you know, a drive to conquer and subjugate?â
Megatron didnât answer, not because he was at a loss for words, but because the question made him think of Starscream and of what Starscream meant to him. Had anyone else gone from being a prisoner, little more than a possession, to being a Decepticon recruitâmaybe even a Decepticon commander, if he managed to return with enough Seekers? And even that meteoric rise wasnât as startling as what Megatron felt for him. But before he could push all those thoughts away and respond, Prime spoke again.
âIâm sorry Iâve wasted your time and mine,â he said, and actually managed to sound regretful rather than curt. âOptimus Prime out.â
The screen went black. Megatron usually liked getting the last word in, but this time, it didnât much matter. Perhaps because he was so tired, or because he was thinking of Starscream rather than Prime.
No, it was definitely because he hadnât recharged in a while. But even after he had retired to his berth, recharge seemed a long time coming. His positionâs demands on his time and energy usually meant that when he finally lay down, he slipped offline easily, but for some reason it wasnât happening now, and after about a joor of that, he gave up. Better to do something productive rather than waste time.
So he got up, and went into the outer room to top up his fuel levels before he set out again. The window had been replaced, and he avoided looking at the seat where Starscream had so often sat to look out at the sky. Drawing off a cube, he took it with him to the elevator and headed up to the observation deck. It was still dark, but the sky was lightening at the horizon. Megatron stood on the deck and sipped his energon, remembering everything that had happened when heâd been there before. Watching the stars appear as the day slid slowly into evening. A red-and-white jet evading every shot from a chopper. The taste of acid rain and Starscreamâs mouth.
With an irritated growl, he drained the cube and looked out over Polyhex, now that there was almost enough light to do so. Repairs on the walls were in progress all around the city, and the massive crater where the explosives cache had been detonated was now filled inâwith more explosives, naturallyâthough the rubble around it had not yet been completely removed. Heâd see to that first thing this morning, he decided.
But there were other sights that pleased him more. Smoke drifted from the stacks of some of the factories, and the first trains hurtled over the rails of the Carousel. The city was returning to normal slowly, but steadily. Megatron watched the familiar activity, feeling a little better.
And from outside the gates rose something far less familiar, the shapes of jets as they climbed rapidly into the air. There were six of them, flying in two triangular formations with a Seeker at each point. They were far enough that Megatron had to adjust his optics to see, but he recognized Thundercracker and Skywarp at once, and Starscream was just ahead of them, leading the way as they rose higher and higher.
Megatron had never seen anyone fly so fast. In moments the Seekers soared so far that he couldnât make out details, any more than he could look away from the tiny shapes that drew white vapor lines across the sky. He watched until their contrails were dissipated into smudged misty streaks, and the Seekers themselves were out of sight.
Iâm not in love with him, he thought firmly.
And the response came as if from some other part of his mind. When you think about him so often and when he matters so much to you, what exactly is the difference?
Megatron crumpled the empty cube in his hand, growled againâthough this time it sounded more resigned than torqued off to himâand went back down to his quarters.
Great start, with Team Prime fleeing from Starscream and his drones.
Bee must have the best shock absorbers ever, given how often Mirage's weight comes down on his roof but the impact doesn't even slow him.
"We're not far from the border." OK, and...? Is this border like the Berlin Wall? Is Starscream legally prevented from crossing it?
And Starscream, why are you stopping the chase to give an order when that order is exactly what the drones have been doing so far and there's no sign that they're going to do anything different?
Good thinking on Optimus's part, though. Given that they outnumber the drones, they might as well split up and maybe try to ambush them.
Mirage, unless you have something of life-and-death urgency to talk about, maybe wait until you're not in danger?
Though it was funny to see Wheeljack react in his typical unintimidated way. *poke poke*
"You must let me take your schematics." Schematics? Is that what they're calling it these days?
This is the worst possible place to pick a fight!
That said, it's great to see a version of Mirage who's not a nice guy. "Now you've done it." Yeah, Wheeljack, all your fault.
I like how Mirage and Wheeljack still manage to work together when it counts, though. Poor Starscream!
While I'm surprised that the two of them can't think of any better way to end the fight than by by stomping and kicking the drone, it was cute to see Starscream go "grr" and dive in, like he was going to tell them to pick on something their own size (or larger).
Though I'm not loving the power boosters, unless both sides get these.
Which obviously doesn't happen, so one punch from Wheeljack sends Starscream to the end of the alleyway and into a dumpster.
Rest in peace.
Haha, good for Mirage. "Whatever that was, you need to share."
"Need to keep moving," Wheeljack says, and Starscream's foot twitches. Nice touch.
Oh, there's some drawback to the power boosters? Is that why Wheeljack is concerned that Optimus & Co might have used it?
"Once or twice," Optimus says, a bit sheepishly. Good to hear there are side effects, but now I'd like to see those in action.
So the last drone has a hologram of Starscream's face. Yeah, this one's finished for sure.
Starscream's controlling the drone? I like that development. Try shooting out their tires, Starscream!
Well, maybe another day.
And they arrive at the border, which seems to be... impassable?
So Wheeljack was able to cause small changes? That's useful. Also amusing how Mirage just keeps popping around while Team Prime is questioning Wheeljack. Everyone ignores him like they're adults trying not to reward a small child's antics with attention.
And off he goes!
Hmm, Grimlock says, "Megatron has been stopped", not "Megatron has been destroyed." I'll take that as a good sign.
Grimlock being laid out so fast, though... not a good sign. Since I don't believe he would urge Snarl to run away from Megatron, that only leaves one possible suspect. Will find out next time!
Warning : this chapter contains a scene of sexual assault. It's not graphic, but if you want to avoid it, it begins at the two-thirds mark of the chapter.
Also, for anyone who's worried, it's not Megatron/Starscream. In this story, Megatron has tons of faults, but being a rapist isn't one of them.
Nothing was clearly visible, but somewhere in the blurred unreality, bright lights blinked and flashed, accompanied by a constant beeping sound. Starscream didnât try to make sense of any of it, because he just wanted all of this, whatever it was, to go away. Of course that didnât happen. The regular beep continued, and began to grow annoying. Why couldnât he be left alone to die in peace?
Though maybe heâd died already? But his frame seemed solid rather than insubstantial, and surely dead mechs didnât feel tired down to their struts, or have difficulty focusing their optics. Because if they did, that was adding insult to injury. He wondered where he was, because this all seemed vaguely familiar, down to the cool firm surface beneath him and the persistent beep in the background that just wouldnât allow him to go back offline.
Slowly his optical system recalibrated and adjusted to the light, and the fuzzy shapes around him resolved themselves into the forms of bulky machines. The lines and readouts changed on their screens and he realized the machines were connected to him, tubes and cables plugging into his left wrist and right arm to monitor his systems. And as his optics focused further, he recognized the room as well, since it was just like the one heâd occupied in the repair centre in Polyhex before heâd been moved to Darkmount.
If Starscream hadnât already been lying on the berth, he would have slumped in relief. As it was, his frame went completely slack as all the tension he hadnât even realized was thereâbecause it felt like part of his core programming at that pointâdrained out of him. If he was in Polyhex, he was safe.
Not completely safe, of course. He would never forget being clamped to that chair in the interrogation room, or what had happened after Soundwave had entered that room. Just remembering that made his chest feel as though it was contracting, tighter and tighter, air forced out of him and nothing left behind. He offlined his optics and clenched his fists so hard that he heard a faint whine of stressed tensors, and a dull pain ground past his plating where his fingers dug into his own palms.
But the trick worked. Air rushed into his intakes again, his ventilation system worked, and he made his fingers relax, one by one. The pain ebbed. Sometimes, that was all that could be reasonably hoped forâthat the pain would lessen, slowlyâbut now he hoped for a little more as well. That Skywarp and Thundercracker were safe, for a start. And that Megatron was still alive too. The one thing he felt sure of was that control of Polyhex had not passed out of Decepticon hands, because he wasnât chained to the berth, which would have been done as a matter of course if heâd been recaptured by anyone loyal to Altihex.
Strangely, though, the restriction aid was gone. He always registered that when he lay on his back, since it was plugged into his spinal strut at the nape of his neck, but now he felt no discomfort at all. Maybe it had stopped working and so it had been taken out? That was something else to be hoped for.
Starscream turned his head from side to side, but the room was empty. Of course, the repair centre staff would come to check on him soon enough, and when they did, he would ask them to get in touch with his wingmates, but he didnât want to lie there uselessly until that happened.
He tried to sit up, but even levering himself off the berth was a struggle that he lost. Jaws gritted, he lay still and, since there was nothing else he could do while completely prone and motionless, he checked his HUD. It was something heâd rarely done after heâd been imprisoned in Altihex, because what was the point in looking at reports of damage that wouldnât be repaired? But now he glanced at the status reports from various systems, and the updates about what had been repaired. As heâd expected, at the top of the list were the internal components that had been damaged when heâd been shot.
Radar scanner repaired, requires recalibrationânot surprising. Fuel tank leak sealedâdamn, heâd been lucky. If that had combusted, there was no way Skywarp would have got him anywhere in time. Hydraulic system overhauledâyes. Chest armor replacedâof course. New hardware detected: internal comm replacedâ
For a moment Starscream wasnât sure heâd read that correctly. Hardly able to believe it, he called the notification up again. Internal comm replaced. He touched his chestplate very lightly, over where his comm would beâand now was. If it worked, if he could use itâŠ
Unable to shake the feeling that he had to take advantage of this sudden windfall before it could be snatched away, he accessed the comm and immediately got a prompt to calibrate it. He did so, willing the process to finish fast and watching the seconds tick away on his chronometer, but finally his comm was online. The channel frequency the three of them had used before was practically core memory, and he activated it at once.
The response was just as fast. âStarscream?â
It was Thundercrackerâs voice. A few times in the past, Starscream had imagined he was hearing his wingmates, but this was real, it was the deep voice he knew so well, it was actually Thundercracker on the channel. For a moment he couldnât answer, from sheer relief so great that it eclipsed everything else.
âAre the two of you all right?â he managed to ask.
âYes. Youâre the one we were worried about.â
âIâm okay.â For some definition of okay, he thought, because technically nothing had changed about his being given to the Decepticons as payment for a debt, even if such a thing was anathema among Seekers. Besides, after everything that had happened, there was no way Megatron would wish him well and see him off with a wave.
But even that didnât matter right now. âWhere are you?â he asked.
âHey, Starscream!â Skywarp chimed in. He sounded breathless, as though heâd just flown in from somewhere, but there was no mistaking the cheerful tone. âCan we come see you?â
âWhere are you?â Starscream kept his tone flatly serious, as he always did when Skywarp started burbling.
âThank you for saving my life, Skywarp,â Skywarp said. âOh, youâre welcome, Starscream, it was really nothingââ
âIâm going to ask one last time. Where. Are. You?â
Thundercracker could always tell when Starscreamâs patience was giving way, and now he answered. âWeâre in temporary housing just outside the city.â
Temporary housing? Starscream didnât like the sound of that, because he imagined hastily constructed shanties, and he didnât want his wingmates forced to be outside the safety of the city either. Thundercracker clearly noticed his silence, because he went on to explain, âItâs safe enough, and there are thirty or forty other mechs here. Most of them had homes that were destroyed, so theyâre sheltering here until the rubbleâs cleared away and itâs safe for them to help with rebuilding. There are a few Decepticon sentries and guards as well.â
Starscream supposed reluctantly that it was the best that could be expected under the circumstances, especially since the population of Polyhex might not exactly be disposed to offer a great deal of kindness to strangers at the moment. âI see,â he said. âYes, you can visit me, just get permissââ
âAll right!â Skywarp cheered, and there was a faint crackle of static on the channel.
âSkywarp?â Starscream had the sinking feeling that his idiot wingmate hadnât heard anything heâd said after yes. âSkywarp!â
An intercom overhead snapped on. âAttention, please. Attention, please. Code White. Armed intruder, operating room twelve.â
âWhat the frag is he doing?â Starscream asked, stunned. âHe doesnât know which room Iâm in!â
âCode White. Security to fuel stores, security to fuel stores!â
âSo heâs teleporting all over the hospital?â Thundercracker sounded equally taken aback. âGet him on the comm and tell him where you are!â
âIÂ donât know which room Iâm in!â Starscream snapped. âI canât get off this berth, let alone make it to the door to check what number it is!â Besides, when Skywarp was teleporting, it was impossible to maintain an open channel with him. And the overhead warnings now came fast and hard.
âArmed intruder, ground floor waiting room!â
âArmed intruder, staff refectory!â
âArmed intruder, rapid response clinic!â
âAttention, please! This facility is now in emergency lockdown. Remain where you are. Do not, repeat, do not attempt to leave your location. All security personnel, fan out!â
âJust for the record,â Thundercracker said over the channel, âI had nothing to do with this. Nothing whatsoever.â
âLot of help you are,â Starscream grumbled, and closed the channel, just in case the next step was a complete communications blackout. No wonder the repair centre staff were panicking, since they probably thought theyâd been invaded by a small army rather than a single mech who could appear in several different places in a few seconds. And now what? Starscream had no idea if the next thing he would hear was a gunfight between Skywarp and the security forces, and heâd find it difficult to blame them for it. Really, what sort of irresponsible mech caused an entire repair centre to go into emergency lockdown?
Light flashed purple in the middle of the room and Skywarp appeared. âThere you are!â he said, sounding as though heâd just won a very competitive game, and the prize was Starscream.
âHere I am,â Starscream said sourly. âHow did you finally figure out which room I was in?â
âFound a terminal where someone was logged in and did a search,â Skywarp replied, proving that he did have a functional CPU when he chose to use it. He came over to the berth, looking Starscream over quickly. âYou sure youâre okay? You donât sound the same.â
âMy vocalizer got damaged in Altihex.â It was the only component which hadnât been repaired or replaced, maybe because the Decepticons werenât aware that his voice had ever been any different.
Skywarpâs optics narrowed. âWhat else did they do to you?â
âNothing important.â He didnât want to remember any of that, let alone relive the memories by sharing them with his wingmates.
âDonât lie to me, Starscream.â
âI donât want to talk about it, all right?â Starscream said, trying to suppress a growing testiness. He hadnât come this far to fight with a wingmate. âAnd it really doesnât matter. I donât need a vocalizer to fly.â
âOh yeah, speaking of which.â Skywarpâs optics lit from within. âWhen can you leave?â
Starscream twitched one shoulder in a shrug. âThatâll be up to the medics.â Not to mention Megatron. âHow long can the two of you stay where you are?â
âNo oneâs said. And itâs not just us two. Ramjet, Thrust and Dirge joined the search as well.â Skywarp sat on the edge of the berth. âWe get regular energon rations, but TC says itâs best not to assume thatâll be the case for long.â
Starscream could guess that after Thundercrackerâs wingmates had disappeared, he wasnât in a hurry to trust or depend on grounders again. âDo any of you need repairs?â
âNah, weâre good.â Skywarp reached for his hand, and a tremor ran through Starscreamâs frame. How long had it been since one of his wingmates had touched him? âAnd once you get the all-clear, youâre coming back with us, right?â
âIâll do my best.â Starscream wasnât going to lay any of his uncertainties on his wingmatesâ shoulders, especially since Seekers who had fought Altihex to save one of their own might not hesitate to take on another city. He curled his fingers around Skywarpâs, solid and warm and familiar. âBut whatever happensââ
The door slid open. A security guard looked in, saw Skywarp and shouted a warning, swinging his gun up as he did so. Skywarp was on the other side of the room at once, both arms coming up to aim.
âDonât shoot!â Starscream yelled. âSkywarp, stand down!â
For a tense moment, no one moved, though from outside came the sounds of more security personnel converging on that location. âContact Megatron,â Starscream said urgently to the guard, forcing himself to add, âPlease. Heâll confirm that my wingmate isnât going to harm anyone. And Skywarp, stand the frag down!â
Both his wingmates knew that when he swore, it meant heâd just been pushed to his limit and beyond. Skywarp slowly lowered his arms, though he still glared at the guard as if defying him to try to get the jump on someone who could teleport. Starscream waited, willing the security personnel outside to do as heâd asked.
It seemed to take hours before one of them waved the guard away and stepped into the doorway. âLord Megatron has confirmed that this mech is not a hostile,â he said curtly.
âCourse he did.â Skywarp folded his arms and leaned a shoulder against the wall. âMegatron and me are buddies.â
âAre you trying to get yourself shot?â Starscream said in disbelief.
âYouâre still required to leave,â the guard said flatly. âLord Megatron didnât give permission for you to remain here. And that Seeker needs to rest.â He indicated Starscream with a sharp jerk of his head.
Starscream could tell that everyone had had it up to there with Skywarp, so he nodded. âGo on. Iâll be in touch when thereâs news.â
âOkay.â Skywarp straightened up reluctantly. âSee you later,â he said, and vanished.
The security guards held a quick consultation in voices too quiet for Starscream to hear what they said, and then one of them ventured cautiously in, searching the air with the tip of a rifle as if to check whether Skywarp had merely turned invisible. Since they found nothing, Starscream was issued a warning to never allow any other Seekers to enter the facility without Megatronâs authorization, and then the security guards left, closing the door behind them. There was an overhead announcement that the lockdown was called off, and Starscream let himself slump into the berth, almost strutless with relief.
Except now he wished heâd asked the security personnel to contact Megatron for him, since even with a functional comm, he had no idea what channel to try. He had no doubt that a status report on him would eventually find its way to Megatron, but he was also well aware that Megatron had far greater priorities, especially in the aftermath of a battle. Which was another of the many reasons he missed his wingmates. At least they didnât have dozens of other duties keeping them occupied.
But at the same time, Megatron knew more about what had happened to him than anyone else did. Thanks in part to what Starscream thought of as those incessant interrogation sessions, but he had to admit, if only to himself, that Megatron had treated him fairly enough. Some of the time, anyway, and at least that was a part of the recent past that he didnât mind remembering. Unlike some othersâŠ
***
âAt the end of the day, I donât want anyone to be unhappy.â Overturn clasped his hands behind his back and actually managed to sound regretful. âOr even inconvenienced. But that goes for us too, you know, not just yourself. I hope you realize that.â
Seated on the floor because the cell was completely empty, Starscream leaned back against the wall and looked at Overturn through the bars. Turning away to stare at the wall instead would have provided him with a better view, but he wanted it to be obvious to his jailers that heâd heard everything they said, that not a word of it made a difference, and that his cold, indifferent demeanor wouldnât change.
âAfter all, you came to us asking for help,â Overturn said. âWe didnât go to you. Did we, Harrow?â
âNo, sir,â the hulking guard beside him replied.
âNo, indeed. So itâs only fair that we should receive some compensation for the repairs we carried out on your friend. We didnât have to do that. We could have kicked him out and closed our doors in his face, but we were generous enough to help him. Thatâs why you need to repay us.â
I would have paid you ten times what his repairs cost, Starscream thought, but by then he knew what they wanted, and it wouldnât have mattered if heâd carried a fortune in platinum. He wondered how much longer this speech would last⊠and what would happen once they decided to move on to other methods.
âYouâve been detained, I wonât dispute that, but this is a mere formality, and once you cooperate, youâll be free to leave whenever you please.â Overturn smiled at him through the bars. âYouâll have your weapons backâand your friend too, of course. You saw him, so you know heâs fine. For now. Because the chief minister is on his way over, and he might not be as patient with the two of you as we have been.â
After Starscream had come back online, Overturn had told him what they wanted from him, and had ordered him taken to see Skywarp so he would know they werenât bluffing about holding his wingmate prisoner too. Skywarp had been offline, in forced stasis to prevent him from simply teleporting out of there. Starscream had immediately considered the possibility of pretending to cooperate, because all he needed to do was to tell Skywarp to get them both out of there, now, and this would be over.
But he guessed Overturn had taken that possibility into account. If they brought Skywarp back online and allowed Starscream to speak to him, a gun would be jammed against the back of Starscreamâs neck throughout that conversationâassuming they hadnât already implanted a remotely detonated bomb inside Skywarpâs chest. That wasnât a risk he could take.
âSo this is your last chance,â Overturn said. âAre you going to do whatâs best for your friend and yourself?â
Starscream felt as though all his internal components were tightening in on each other, hard as a fist, and the cables in his jaws tensed rigidâfrom fury as well as the effort needed to restrain himself. He hated Overturn so much that it was all he could do not to react in any way, but his core temperature climbed into the red. To his relief, momentary though that was, the minister of trade shrugged and said it was a shame how some mechs just made things worse for themselves by their ungrateful and frankly hostile behavior. Then he went out, the guard following him. The outer door slid shut behind them.
It wasnât often that Starscream was left alone, but every time it had happened before, heâd searched every inch of the cell and hadnât found anything useful. Now, though, an idea stole into his head, probably spurred on by the knowledge that his captorsâ patience had run out. He touched the armor panel on his chest that covered the place where his comm had been, and it slid aside with a soft click.
The strutless cowards in Altihex had removed his comm, but they hadnât bothered with the wires connected to it, probably figuring that those were useless now. Starscream quickly disconnected those and pulled them free. He knew the bars of the cell were electrified because heâd learned that the hard way, touching one experimentally and receiving a shock powerful enough to make him stagger back, a burning ache spreading through his hand. Working fast, he twisted all the wiring together to form a single long line, then stripped away all of the rubber that ran along its length, because the insulation was a bright yellow and far too noticeable.
The cell was below the council chambers of Altihex. He could feel the suffocating weight of thoseâthe buildings, the ground, the barriersâpressing down on him, and he didnât know how long it would take him to find Skywarp once he escaped, but he had no choice except to try. He couldnât just sit there waiting for Overturn and his cronies to start meting out the third degree. The only break heâd caught so far was that the cell wasnât well-lit, and hopefully there were no cameras watching as he carried out the last part of his plan.
He took a platinum coin from subspace. It gleamed brightly in his palm as he attached one end of the long wire to it. Then he went as close to the bars as he dared, and tossed the coin between them. It rolled away and came to rest a few yards away from the outer door, the wired side to the floor.
Another lucky break. Starscream felt his spirits rise as he got to his feet. He let his arm hang down to hide the fact that he held the other end of the wire in his hand, keeping it clear of the bars. Now all he needed was forâ
A guard came in, took in the cell and its occupant with a disinterested look, and reached for a chair as if preparing to settle in for a long shift. That was when he noticed the platinum coin. Just as Starscream had hoped, his optics brightened and he picked it up. Starscream tossed the other end of the wire against the electrified bars.
The wire landed over the horizontal crossbar, and the massive charge it now conducted hit the guard. His mouth flew open in a silent howl, his frame jolting violently. A stench of red-hot metal and melting rubber rose into the air. The guard lurched forward in a jittery uncontrolled movement, sparks bursting from between the slight gaps in his armor, and Starscream realized the mech was on a collision course with the bars.
He leaped back and flung his arms over his head just in time. The guardâs entire weight crashed into the bars. There was a crackling sound, drowned out by a shattering explosion as the guardâs fuel tank detonated.
Damage warnings flashed through Starscreamâs visual display, but they were all minorâshrapnel striking his armor, mostlyâand he felt no pain at all. Not once he saw how close he was to escape. The guardâs remains were a barely recognizable heap, and half the bars had broken or were melting in the intense heat. Starscream could only hope that the explosion had short-circuited the cellâs wiring, but whether it had or not, he had to be out of there. He kicked out hard at what remained of the bars.
As his audials recovered from the blast, he heard an alarm blaring, but that didnât matter. His heel slammed into the bars again. That made enough of a gap for him to squeeze through, and in the next moment he was out.
He threw the outer door open. Thanks to the drugged energon, heâd been offline when he had been brought there, but he remembered which way theyâd taken him to show him that Skywarp was a prisoner as well. He bolted down the corridor to the right, took a turn, and slammed straight into another mech with a clang. The mech was smaller than he was, though, and was knocked to the floor. Wasting no time with him, Starscream reached the flight of stairs that led up to the level where Skywarp was being held.
âHelp! Help!â the mech yelled. Heavy footsteps thudded against the floor as Starscream raced up the stairs. He couldnât tell how many guards were after him, because there was too much noise to distinguish anything other than the shouts. âStop him!â
Starscream reached the door at the top of the stairs. It was unlocked, it was mercifully unlocked. He yanked it open, dodged in, and threw it shut in the face of the guard who had almost caught up with him. In the next instant he slammed the locking lever up. The heavy blast-resistant door was sealed.
Before he could turn around, there was a soft furtive step behind him and a length of razor wire whipped down over his head. The mech behind him pulled the wire taut against Starscreamâs throat.
Starscreamâs gasp was choked into silence as the wire bit into his throat. He clawed at the mechâs fingers and wrists, but the mech hung on, twisting the wire so it sank in further. It was hot and sharp, a ring of agony tightening inexorably around his neck. He threw himself backwards against the door, but although the mech grunted with the impact, he didnât let go. The wire sliced past the plating of Starscreamâs throat and cut into an energon line.
His vision went red with urgent warnings. He fought wildly to get free, his feet scrabbling against the floor. The wire was too deep for him to get a grip on it now and his fingers slipped on the fluids trickling from his neck. His vision dimmed until he couldnât see any longer, and panic took hold of him. He was going to die, he was going to die here, andâ
Abruptly the tightening garotte was gone. Starscream dropped to his knees, shaking with reaction, his legs unable to support him. He was vaguely aware of the mech turning the lever on the door and pulling it open, but there was nothing Starscream could do to stop him. There was nothing he could do at all, other than gasp for breath. The wire had sawed all the way into the components of his vocalizer, and his systems were struggling to seal off the leaks from cut lines.
Then the guards were on him, shoving him face-down to the floor and snapping shackles around his wrists. âMinister Vantage,â he heard Overturn say from a short distance away, âare you all right?â
âOf course.â A foot prodded him lightly in the side. âNo thanks to you. Allowing a prisoner to escape is careless at best, most careless.â
âIâm so sorry. He managed to killâwell, never mind. Iâll make sure it never happens again.â
âI think weâd all rest better in our berths of a night if we could rely on more than your assurances, Overturn.â Vantage moved away. âHave a restriction aid fitted, and then take him to a cell under the arena. The other one, too, get them both out of here. That way, at least any further jailbreaks wonât jeopardize too many innocent lives.â
âAt once.â Overturn sounded desperately eager to please. âUh⊠does he need repairs?â
âI should think so. I want him to stay alive, is that understood? Do anything you want to him, as long as he lives. And, in the end, he obeys.â
***
Well, he hadnât obeyed. He hadnât even spoken, not a word before then, and even less after it, with his voice distorted beyond recognition. The makeshift repairs were meant to stabilize his condition, nothing more, so his vocalizer was just one more thing lost, and Starscream didnât miss it one-tenth as much as he longed for his wingmates and his weapons. And the sky. The arena didnât press down on him as badly as the council chambers, so there wasnât that horrible claustrophobic sense of being buried alive, but there was plenty to replace it.
Such as the worst thing theyâd ever done, the one that hadnât left a single mark on him, not so much as a scratch on his plating, but which heâd taken far longer to recover from. It had happened in a room a short distance from the cell where heâd been imprisoned, in a small bare roomâŠ
***
The room was different enough from the torture chamber to pull Starscream out of his now-normal state of cool detachment. A single light flickered overhead, but the weak illumination was enough for him to see that the room was empty and featureless except for the shackles riveted to the floor.
The sight didnât unnerve or even surprise him, because heâd been shackled ever since that single ill-fated escape attempt. The only odd thing was the lack of a two-way mirror, but perhaps what they were going to do to him now was mundane enough that no one would bother watching it.
The guards pushed him down, and one of them moved away to cover him with a weaponânot that there was any real need to, since his arm guns had been taken away what felt like a long time ago, and he no longer offered any resistanceâwhile the other shackled him. Starscream lay on his back as one limb after another was pulled into position and locked into place, like a folding table being opened for use. He gave no indication that he noticed any of it, and stared up at the ceiling instead, trying to guess if that could be lowered to crush someone below it.
His task done, the guard got up, and the two of them left. That made Starscream uneasy. Why had they vacated the room rather than punishing him? And how long would he be here? The restraints werenât painful, but eventually his limbs would seize up from being spread apart and held pinned to the floor. He tested the shackles around his wrists, pulling as best he could, but nothing happened, and with his arms stretched out on either side of him, he couldnât apply any leverage either.
Try to relax and conserve energy, he thought. Of course that was easier said than done, but heâd had plenty of practice in staying calm and remote under such circumstances. He listened to his own steady ventilations and concentrated on blanking his mind, on feeling nothing.
The door opened. Starscream didnât look in that direction, but the footsteps which made their way to him were lighter than those of the guards. A moment later, a mech heâd never seen before was standing over him, in his line of sight.
The mech was blocky but compact, with the edges of wheels showing past his shoulders and a paint job in shades of deep blue offset by copper. Strangely, his hands were empty, and neither weapons nor what the guards referred to as âchastisement toolsâ were in sight. He shifted his weight from foot to foot before he spoke.
âDo you need fuel?â he asked.
The only thing stranger than being spoken to was the question itself. Starscream knew that the energon given to him was laced with a drug, but refusing it had resulted in a session of forced refueling with a tube down his throat. So he drank the hated substance, but he never asked for it, and he said nothing now.
âOrâor anything else?â the mech asked.
What was this? By now Starscream was starting to wonder if the questions were a clumsy attempt to make him think this was someone who sympathized with him. Of course, even a convincing act would just have been a prelude to a brutal disillusionment, so he wouldnât have believed a better performance either.
âBecauseâŠâ The mech spoke more softly. âI could do you a favor or two. If you did something for me.â
Suddenly Starscream knew exactly why this mech was here. There was no mistaking the insinuation in the whisper for anything else. He thought of offlining his optics, then decided that even that would be too much of a reaction. Certainly more of a reaction than this vile pervert deserved.
The mech knelt. âSo pretty.â He ran the palm of one hand over Starscreamâs instrumentation canopy, all the way down it and then over his hip. âI always wondered what it would be like with a Seeker.â
Everything in Starscream longed to pull away from that touch. He controlled the impulse with an effort, only too aware that any movements he could make in that position were minimal and would be useless as far as stopping this mech. Gazing up at the ceiling instead, he told himself that at least he wasnât being hurt, and it would be over soon. He focused on keeping his ventilations steady and tried to pretend it wasnât happening.
But that was impossible. His plating seemed to contract and curl in on itself wherever he was touched, and the dark blue hands were like cool slime crawling over him. It was a disgusting sensation, one heâd never experienced before. The mech had seemed hesitant at first, but his approach quickly grew insistent and intimate. Fingers groped at battered wings, slid into air intakes, moved down between spread legs. Starscream kept his optics fixed on the ceiling, wishing that would fall, but he didnât react. The only way he could resist this was to show that nothing could change his cold, bored demeanor, a silent Are you done yet? response.
The mech continued for a little longer, but he didnât know where a Seekerâs hot spots were, and even if he had, no amount of stimulation to those would have worked. Certainly his fumbling ministrations hadnât achieved whatever he wanted, and eventually he seemed to realize that. With a sudden guttural sound, he jerked his hands away and clambered up to his feet.
âStupid,â he hissed. âToo stupid to know whatâs good for you. Think anyone else would want you? I hope theyâŠâ
Some instinct made Starscream turn his head just enough to meet the mechâs optics with his own. He said nothing, only stared at the mech with an infinite, icy contempt, and the talk trailed off. The mech looked away first, though he hadnât yet finished. He spat on Starscream and then hurried out, slamming the door behind him.
It was over.
Starscream let his breath out slowly and offlined his optics. Finally, it was over and he was alone. His frame felt unfamiliar, and a phantom reaction slid twitching beneath his plating as though he was still being pawed at, but at least it was over. He didnât think that mech, whoever he was, would come back for more.
Whoever he was. How strange, to be touched so intimately by someone whose name he didnât even know. Not that he wanted to know it, but the anonymity lent a tinge of unreality to the experience. A tremor raced up his arm, and he turned his head to see his fingers shaking, but that seemed to be happening some distance away, as though his hands were no longer attached to his frame. He knew they were, but the heavy shackle of reinforced steel around his wrist had more substance and more reality.
No, he wasnât going to give in to this either. Whatever it was. He hadnât even been damaged this time. So why did it feel as though something else had been taken away from him? His weapons and comm were gone and his wings wouldnât last much longer, but now there was a strange hollowness deep inside him as well. He couldnât tell what was supposed to be there, only that it was gone, and his frame was trembling in the aftermath.
No. Biting his lip, he forced his hands to clench hard, and imagined his involuntary reaction as something small that was being crushed smaller and smaller as his fingers tightened around it. Nothing had broken him yet, and this would be no exception. When the guards came to drag him back to the cell, they wouldnât find him any different from when theyâd left him here.
The shivering tension slowly drained out of his frame, and he let his hands relax. The floor was cold and hard beneath him, but it felt far better thanâno, he wasnât going to think about the mech whose name he didnât know. He pushed the memory down as far as he could. And he silently promised himself that if he was ever free again somehow, no one would touch him against his will.
***
So when heâd been taken to Darkmount, he expected more of the same. Especially since it became clear at once that he had to repay the Decepticons for everything theyâd provided, and Megatron wouldnât even need to shackle him before taking what he wanted. But Megatron seemed uninterested in doing so.
And what was even stranger was that Starscream felt safe with him. Not that he could get away with disobeying a direct order or anything of the sort, but he would never forget how, after dealing with the assassin sent to the repair centre, Megatron broke the chain binding him to the berth. Starscream didnât know why Megatron had done that, but his immediate, instinctive reaction was a sense of security. He would never trust anyone who wasnât a Seeker, not after everything that had happened, but there was no indication that the treatment he'd received in Altihex was something Megatron would repeat, and being in Darkmount confirmed that. Much as Starscream detested the interrogation sessions, the lack of freedom and being hand-fed energon, he couldnât help noticing that Megatron, for all his faults, treated other mechs fairly. He didnât tolerate defiance, but he likewise rewarded cooperation, and he didnât seem to get his thrills from torturing prisoners either.
In the nights when Starscream couldnât recharge thanks to the insomnia from the medication that kept the withdrawal symptoms at bay, he wondered whether to tell Megatron the truth. But no, that wasnât a risk he could take. Especially since Megatron was looking for any advantage that would benefit the Decepticons in their struggle for supremacy. Starscream even thought of offering his services as a liaison between Polyhex and Vos, because if he could convince some Seekers to join the Decepticon cause, that might be enough for Megatron to agree to rescue Skywarp.
Except by then Starscream didnât even know if Skywarp was alive. In Altihex, it had become more and more difficult to sense the trine bondâsomething as invisible as the wind and yet as present and as necessary for Seekersâwith a mind grown hazy from drug dependency. And afterwards, in Polyhex, he couldnât feel it at all. What he did know was that if he returned to Vos, the loss of a wingmate would weigh far heavier in the balance than anything he could say on Megatronâs behalf. Are we supposed to listen to someone who couldnât even keep his wingmate alive? would be the reaction from other trines.
And then had come Megatronâs alliance with Vantage, which had convinced Starscream heâd been right not to trust Megatron to the extent of confiding in him. No, best to play a lone hand. But it was difficult. He was constantly on guard, wary of saying anything that might give himself away, and sometimes he wanted to warn Megatron about Vantage, a stupid impulse that would only open a can of wire-worms.
The worst part, though, was how living with Megatron slowly brought down his defenses, so gradually that sometimes he looked back and wondered how heâd ever let a grounder get so close. He kept reminding himself that he was a prisoner of the Decepticons, little better than a slave. But then Megatron would do something like giving him a puzzle to solve, or teaching him to spar, or taking him up to the roof so that, for a little while at least, nothing separated him from the sky.
And on that roof, in the storm, Starscream had kissed him. It wasn't much, he thought later, as kisses went. It wasn't passionate or intensely pleasurable, only a light undemanding contact that left him with the taste of rain on his lips. And with the realization that he had made the first move. He had done something he would never have wanted to do with a grounder, had done it not because of coercion or bribes or threats, but because... simply because he had wanted it.
He wasn't sure what would happen afterwards. It was, he thought, a little like opening a door to a place he'd never been in before, and stepping through that doorway even though he knew there would be no turning back. He wished he could pretend he'd done it out of sheer loneliness, because without his wingmates, he'd turned to the closest substitute. True, that was a part of it. Most Seekers were tactile, and it had been so long since he'd touched someone else, or been touched in a way that he liked and wanted. But it wasn't the only reason. Something drew him like a magnetâthe hot glow that made Megatronâs optics look like banked fires, the way he moved during their sparring sessions, surprisingly swift for such a large powerful mech, the deep voice that seemed to vibrate down into Starscream's frame, stirring a strange longing into life.
And when he finally gave in to that need, it was nothing like what had happened in the small empty room below the arena. He hadn't wanted Megatron to touch him at first, because he hadn't wanted anyone at all to touch him. But rather than pressuring him, Megatron had found a way for them to be intimate without forcing the matter, and had let Starscream do what he wanted. What he needed. He had never realized how erotic it was to be watched as he moved his hands slowly over his body. Rediscovering it with each caress, reclaiming himself after everything that had been done to him, and somewhere during that he imagined the hands on him were large and strong and dark grey, bringing him closer and closer to the edge until he overloaded hard, helplessly, with a pleasure so intense that it wiped everything else from his mind. Even when that finally subsided, it left behind a sweet sated contentment. He hadnât felt so good in a long time.
But that wasnât what he wanted or needed most, and his quick retreat to his own room was because heâd needed to regroup, to process what had just happened. As he lay alone in the narrow berth, his frame cooling down, he wondered whether there was any advantage to be gained from Megatronâs evident attraction to him. That was another reason heâd gone back to his room; safer to leave Megatron wanting more than to hand over everything at the start. If they became even closer, would that make a difference?
No, he concluded reluctantly. It didnât matter that Megatron desired him, and it didnât even matter that Megatron had seen the hellish conditions under the arena. None of that weighed as much in the balance as the Decepticon cause, which Megatron would never jeopardize for a single Seeker. And so Starscream continued on his course. When Megatron wanted to interface with him, he gave in to his own desire because there was nothing to be gained in fighting thatâand because, for so long, the only physical contact heâd known had been painful or degrading. He told himself that after that, anything would feel good in comparison.
Except when Megatron touched him, there was no comparison at all, and it didnât just feel good. It lit a fever pitch of need in him, and that exploded in an overload so powerful that it was all he could do not to beg for more. But no matter how much he enjoyed being in Megatronâs berth, he wouldnât let his defenses down. Because if Megatron considered his alliance with Altihex more important than anything Starscream could give him, then Starscream was going to put Skywarp first.
Besides, it was already too late, because by then Starscream had secretly made arrangements with Onslaughtâs mercenaries. He had set what he knew was an unstoppable chain of events into motion, so now all that was left to do was to keep ahead of those developments. And to survive long enough to leave Polyhex some day, with or without Megatronâs authorization, because he had to get Skywarp out of Altihex. When theyâd been sent out from Vos to travel to other cities and to bring back trustworthy information about those, it had been his decision to split up, thinking that this way, they could complete their mission and return home that much sooner. He could never forget that his trine would still be intact if he hadnât given that instruction.
His original plan was to hire the mercenaries to rescue Skywarp, but Onslaught made it clear that no amount of money was worth the risk. So Starscream did the next best thing, and told them to stoke as much conflict as possible between Altihex and Polyhex. With a pitched battle as a distraction, he could slip into Altihex. Leaving Darkmount would be easy in comparison, because the longer he lived with the Decepticons, the more he learned about themâtheir defenses, their vulnerabilities, the way they thought. So he felt sure that when the time came for him to escape, he could find a way to do it.
Then Megatron ordered his wings to be replaced.
Starscream had never expected that. There were three ways Megatron kept him leashedâhis lack of functional wings, his missing comm, and the last-resort restriction aid. None of those got in the way of interfacing, and he knew he would never be cooperative enough for Megatron to even consider relenting. And yet it had happened. His wings, the wings heâd once taken for granted, they were restored. Not exactly to what they had been, because the replacements were still too new and smooth; they didnât have the slight scratch where Skywarp had once accidentally-on-purpose collided with him. But they fitted easily into place against his back and shoulders and they felt like part of his frame, rather than leaden slabs of scrap metal. And they didnât hurt at all now.
More than anything except being with his wingmates again, Starscream had longed to fly. So it was a bitter irony that he couldnât bring himself to do it. Before that, he couldnât even glance into a mirror because he didnât want to see how grotesque his wings looked, and even knowing they were undamaged nowâsmooth as blades, made strong and efficient as only a fusion of Seeker technology and Decepticon technique could beâdidnât make a difference. He told himself it would be fine, all he needed to do was get in the air and it would be like heâd never stopped flying, but something deep down inside him didnât get the memo. Worse, that something was a tight hard knot that felt uncomfortably close to fear.
So Megatron had slowly and gently eased him out of it, except Decepticons apparently didnât do slow and gentle when swift and iron-fisted was an alternative. Starscream didnât know whether to be more outraged at Megatron for tricking him, or at his own systems for suddenly flaring into flight when he hadnât even been able to talk himself into transforming earlier. But he couldnât stay angry. Not after heâd flown for the first time in months, not after heâd felt wind flooding over his frame, and when Megatron had touched his wings afterwards, it had⊠it had untied the knot inside him, taking away the fear and leaving him trembling with pleasure instead. Heâd turned his head to look at Megatronâs hand on his wing because it had felt too good to be real. The only thing stranger than his trusting a grounder to that extent was the grounder not betraying his trust.
What they did on the roof felt like lovemaking. And afterwards, too tired and contented to get up just yet, Starscream lay with Megatronâs frame resting half across him, strong and warm and solid. He was vaguely surprised at how heavy Megatron was, but then again, Megatronâs alt-mode was clearly blocky and powerful, like a mobile battering-ram or something of the sort. What was just as surprising was that Starscream didnât feel smothered or pinned down; Megatronâs weight had the stability of an anchor and the security of a fortress wall. Besides, Starscream could still look up at the cool vastness of the sky, like having the best of both worlds.
It had been so long since he had been happy that he had almost forgotten what that felt like. And the thought had drifted across his mind that if only Skywarp and Thundercracker were close by as well, this would be perfect, like a circle complete.
Reality snapped back into place like the cold teeth of a trap closing. He saw Skywarp lying helpless in forced stasis, optics dark, only the vivid colors of his purple detailing and white stripes showing that he was still alive. And Starscream didnât even know where Thundercracker was. Suddenly he was revolted at himself, for enjoying an interface when both his wingmates might be dead.
Megatron noticed his reaction, of course. Megatron always noticed, even when he couldnât guess the reason why. And later, in the broad comfortable berth with Megatronâs arms around him, Starscream couldnât help wishing heâd been honest from the start. He was so tired of carrying this secret alone. Of being alone. Seekers had never been designed to fly solo, and maybe, just maybe, Megatron could find a way to get Skywarp out of Altihex. Even if Megatronâs only motivation in doing so was to recruit Seekers for the Decepticon army, it didnât matter as long as Skywarp was alive and safe in the end.
He came very close to telling Megatron the truth. One thing held him back, though. He would have to tell Megatron how heâd hired the mercenaries and told them to destroy the Decepticon oilfield, because it wasnât fair to continue lying to someone while simultaneously asking them for help. And once Megatron knew everything, Starscream had no idea how he would react, only that it wouldnât be pleasant. Starscream could endure unpleasantnessâoh, could he everâbut he already knew that Megatron could be very creative when dealing with mechs who he considered enemies.
Iâll think about it again tomorrow, he promised himself, because exhaustion was stealing over him and what he most wanted was to rest his face against Megatronâs shoulder and slip into recharge. Of course, when he came online the next morning, the first thing he remembered was that the Decepticon army would march out later that day with the Altihex militia. Hardly circumstances under which Megatron would graciously receive a confession of conspiracy. No, Starscream had started out playing a lone hand and that was what heâd continue to do.
So he had gone to the library and carried out the next phase of his plan. Megatron might ally with Altihex out of sheer necessity, but Starscream knew he had no great liking for Vantage, and it wouldnât take much for him to suspect that Vantage had ordered an assassination attempt on Starscream. Especially since that had happened once already. After that, all Starscream needed to do was activate a camera hidden in the pile of datapads in his quarters, and prompt Megatron to say something that Vantage would consider a betrayal of their alliance.
That was the flare tossed into the dynamite factory. And when Megatron returned to his quarters, one look at his expression told Starscream that the pretense was over. Starscream fled through the window, then soared higher and higher into the sky so that when the restriction aid delivered a stasis-inducing shock to his systems, he would die instantly rather than just being damagedâor worse, recaptured.
Except it never happened. Starscreamâs upward trajectory leveled out and he throttled his headlong flight back a little, wondering if the restriction aid had failed. It was still plugged in, he could see that in his HUD, so the only explanation was that it had failed. If he had tried such an escape in Altihex, he would be dead by now.
But this isnât Altihex.
The thought came like one heâd known all along, like something so deeply a part of him that it was almost core programming. This wasnât Altihex, and Megatron wasnât Vantage. Starscream had fixed all his sensors on the sky ahead of him, but now he glanced down at the city below him, much farther below than the foundation of a building was from its summit, yet just as solid and substantial.
I canât do this alone.
That was something heâd never admitted to himself, a reality heâd refused to entertain, because what choice did he have other than dealing with all of this alone? But now he knew that if he continued on to Altihex, it would be suicide. Megatron wouldnât kill him out of hand, but Vantage wouldâif Starscream was fortunate. If he wasnât? The arena again. He had no weapons, no comm, and no support. He couldnât do this alone.
And so he had wheeled into a turn, heading back towards Darkmount even though he knew what sort of welcome Megatron would give him. His only hope was to convince Megatron to hear him out, to tell the truth and throw himself on Megatronâs admittedly very limited mercy. Of course, said mercy proved to be in an even smaller quantity than Starscream had guesstimated, and that session in the interrogation room was as agonizing as anything heâd undergone in Altihex. Worse, in some ways. He felt as though his armor had been wrenched off, leaving everything beneath exposed for Soundwave to search through. The mental probe had jabbed into Starscreamâs mind like long silver needles with points colder than ice.
But in the end, Skywarp was safe, and that was what mattered. Even knowing that Megatron wouldnât simply wave goodbye to them all didnât unsettle Starscream too much. He could withstand anything as long as his wingmates were with him⊠and just as importantly, he knew now that while Megatron could be ruthless and demanding, he wasnât sadistic. Starscream felt sure that whatever Megatron meted out to him personally would be within his tolerances. What he was less certain of was whether his wingmates and friends would face consequences too, and they would be much less likely to put up with those than he would.
Still, theyâd deal with that when it happened. For now, he tried to rest, hoping it wouldnât be much longer before heâd be discharged. His fuel tank was topped up and the damage to his chest had been repaired, so surely he wouldnât be kept there for much longer. He toyed with the idea of slipping out to find his wingmates, then decided that if heâd survived for so long without them, he could wait an hour or two more to get the all-clear before he left.
Thankfully the door slid open again a few moments later. Starscream turned to look in that direction, and his internal components lurched as though someone had just pushed him off a cliff. It wasnât the medics whoâd come to see him.
just dropping in to say that i absolutely adore the distance from ground to sky!! i hope you're having a good day đȘŽ
Thank you so much! It means a lot to me when I hear from readers. This Saturday I'll be updating another fic on AO3 but the week after that I'll post the next chapter of "Distance". Have a wonderful day!
I wonder if Mirage is loyal to whichever side he feels he can get the most out of, and since the 'cons have lost their leader...
There's Starscream (with gaudy crown securely in place). But now I'm also wondering what he does all day. He's alone except for his drone army, so does he just sit around all day watching screens for energon drops?
I like how Mirage pushes down the screen as he's explaining.
Optimus vs. a bunch of drones is a pretty one-sided fight.
Especially since he's now dual wielding with Megatron's battle-axe as well. Of course it was too easy! The drones did nothing more than tap him politely.
And the next batch of drones just circled him as if waiting for their turn to be knocked aside.
"What's a potato?" Good one.
"With Megatron gone..." đą "...and Optimus Prime on the brink of annihilation..." (Seriously? This Starscream isn't just counting his chickens, he's selling them to Popeye's.) "...I, Starscream, will be unstoppable!" Uh, okay, but what is he planning to do exactly? Take over the entire world?
But I did like the clinking sound as he made a fist. Honestly, Starscream, more fighting! Less talking! (And no crown)
"I hope Optimus is okay." Please, he'd get more damaged driving down a road here in rush hour. Though at least the drones stopped just bumping him a little from side to side, and actually fired on him.
Well, at least there was a good explanation of how Starscream got all of his minions. Poor Wheeljack.
Yes, it's nice to hug and catch up with old friends, but shouldn't Elita get those chains and shackles off him? (Though really, Wheeljack should have been able to do that himself, if he had access to tools and was left mostly unsupervised)
Did Starscream yell so loudly they all heard it, or does he normally broadcast such orders to wherever his prisoners are held?
I like Mirage's sheepish expression, though.
Also neat how the lighting panel above Wheeljack's head flickers on as he gets an idea.
"Wait! Optimus!" "Uh... drone?" Heh.
"It's Elita!" Would have been even funnier if he got confused and thought the drone was Elita.
Good thing Wheeljack knew the drones' weakness, but given time, Optimus could probably have taken them out solo. Then again, I can see why no one wants to be in Starscream's city any longer than is necessary.
LOL, Optimus always gets interrupted in mid-speech!
Much as I like Starscream getting out of his chair and doing something about the intruders, wouldn't he transform into his much more aerodynamic alt-mode when flying?
So we're now done with episode 22, meaning there are 14 more (as far as we know). In those episodes, the storyline needs to wrap up the Galvatron subplot, give us some closure re : Megatron, and answer the question of how this all happened. And I'm not certain there's enough space for the show to stick the landing, though I'd be happy to be proven wrong.
Megatron didnât move. He had no intention at all of surrendering, mostly because there was nothing to stop Vantage from killing them all if he did so, but also because he had never surrendered in his life. But what was he going to do now?
Stall them. âI have a counter-offer for you,â he said, mind racing as he tried to find a way out of this. âLet him go and weâll leave. You can keep your Seeker. Iâll evenââ
âFrag that,â Starscream managed to gasp. The guard whoâd taken him down had pulled one arm behind him, as much as possible with a wing in the way, and now the guard wrenched his arm back further. Starscreamâs face twisted in pain, but he went on. âIâm not leaving him again.â
âFine, keep them both,â Megatron said dismissively. He kept his attention on Vantage and the guards, but he was very aware of his surroundings. The catacomb had clearly been designed as a burial site for the nobility, with carved columns on either side and alcoves in the walls for tombs. Perhaps half of the alcoves also sported statues of the mechs buried in them, but others were emptyâexcept for one, in which Megatron caught a glimpse of what looked like long guns with barrels painted white, tossed to the floor of the alcove as though theyâd been discarded there. Though all of the alcoves and columns could provide hiding places for a mech of Ravageâs size, which was why he was nowhere in sight. Ready to act when the time was right, Megatron knew.
Vantage took a step back. âOrder your forces in Polyhex to stand down,â he said. âThen you can leave.â
âCall off whatâs left of your army and I will,â Megatron said. The guard retreated a little as well, dragging Starscream with him as he did so. For a klik Megatron wondered whether they were trying to get a better aim at him somehow, but their weapons didnât capable of the sheer firepower it would take to destroy him before he could retaliate. He took a pace forward. The medical berth was between him and Vantage, and if he could get Skywarp safely behind him, that was one hostage out of the way.
Then he heard a sound at the other end of the passageway that led to the catacombs, what sounded like dozens of hurrying footsteps. There was a muffled shout in the distance, and he knew reinforcements were on the way.
Vantage edged back again, and that time Megatron matched the movement and kept pacing forward. He was only a few mechanometers from the berth now. âYou canât win,â Vantage said, continuing to retreat. âYou wonât even survive, and once they take you down, Iâll have your head on a stake. So do as I say!â
In his peripheral vision, Megatron dared another glance at the berth, wondering how long it would take for Skywarp to come back online once the machines were disconnected. He wasnât sure if he could make it out of there on his own, let alone while towing an unconscious Seeker behind him. And he could only hope that the only thing wrong with that Seeker was the forced stasis, because even the berth looked different from what he was accustomed to. It was easily large enough for a much bigger mech, and the sides extended to the floor rather than consisting of legs and wheels. As ifâŠ
As if thereâs a lot of specialized internal machinery inside, heâd been about to think. Except that wasnât it at all, was it? Vantage and his surviving guard were backing away from the berth, trying to bait him into coming closer to it, because of what was inside the berth.
âExplosives,â he said. âThat berth is packed with them, isnât it?â Starscreamâs optics widened, though the horror of that realization seemed to have silenced him, and Megatron went on. âSo you could kill two of your enemies atââ
Everything happened simultaneously. Vantageâs hand flashed up, aiming a gun at the berth. And in the same moment, Ravage leaped from the top of one of the columns. He landed on Vantage, sending the shot wide. Vantage sprawled on the floor, struggling to keep Ravageâs jaws from his face, and the guard immediately turned his gun on Ravage.
Starscream twisted around and grabbed the guardâs arm with his free hand. The shot streaked over Ravageâs head and he sprang aside. âGet the doors!â Megatron shouted, and Ravage bounded away in that direction.
Megatron bolted forward, closing the distance between himself and the medical berth in astroseconds. He slapped a hand on its surface and vaulted over it, managing to take his weight on his undamaged leg as he landed on its other side. At all costs he had to keep Vantage from detonating the explosives inside the berth, and if the only way to do that was to absorb the gunfire himself, that was what heâd do.
In a blur of speed, Ravage reached the entrance doors. The reinforcements gathered in the passageway saw him and ran forward, but Ravage was faster. One of his flank-mounted missiles whirred through the air at the other mechs, and without pause, he leaped up and hit the controls that closed the double doors from the inside.
Megatron yanked off the leads and cables that connected the offline Seeker to the machines, only too aware that if those were life support rather than a means of forcing Skywarp into continued stasis, he had just doomed the Seeker to death. Still, there was no alternative. Behind him, he heard a rapid shift and clank, and he spun around to face the new threat.
Vantage had transformed into his alt-mode, a light craft hovering well off the floor, and the stub of a gun extruded from his undercarriage. It didn't fire, though. Nothing happened, nothing except for a strange soft thrumming in the air, a sound at the edge of sensory perception. For a klik Megatron felt as though fine sand was sifting over his plating, a cool powdery sensation that made him twitch in reflex. Ignoring it, he lifted his right arm and fired at Vantage.
Or tried to, because his fusion cannon didn't respond. He glanced down at it, startled, but the familiar whir of the weapon charging up was silent. It was as though all the neurocircuitry between his processors and the cannon had just been quietly, instantly severed.
Starscream had wrenched free of the guard's grip and bolted towards the rifle he'd dropped earlier. Now he caught that up, aimed and pulled the trigger. There was a click, but other than that, the rifle was utterly inert. With a grin, the guard raised his hands, and blades snapped out of his wrists like bayonets.
A neutralizing field, Megatron realized. That was what Vantage's gun could do, produce a dead zone where no weapons could fire. The guard lunged at Starscream, blades first.
Starscream spun the rifle around, holding it like a staff and parrying the guardâs strike. The guard was fast, though, and the blades bit into the useless weapon again and again as Starscream gave ground, retreating before the attack. And then there was nowhere he could go, as the guard drove him back against a wall, slammed the rifle aside, and thrust one arm forward in a lethal strike.
Faster than that, Starscream leaped off the floor in a roar of turbines. His arm meeting no resistance made the guard stumble forward a step, and Starscream crashed down on him. Well done, Megatron thought and turned back around.
He slid an arm around Skywarpâs waist and pulled him off the berth, keeping his own body between Vantage and the inert Seeker. Vantage fired again and againâof course, his own weaponry wasnât affected by his neutralizing fieldâbut although he had never been designed for war and didnât have the sort of firepower Megatron did, he had an easy target. Megatron dragged Skywarp away from the berth, clenching his jaws against the pain as shot after shot struck the plating over his back and shoulders. For a klik he thought of dropping the deadweight of the Seeker so he could defend himself.
Then he heard a sudden indrawn breath, and he glanced down to see Skywarpâs frame twitch in his grasp.
A surge of renewed strength pumped though his circuits and he continued to haul Skywarp away from the berth. There was a scrabbling sound as Skywarp tried to get his feet under him, but anyone coming back online from long stasis would be disoriented at best, and Megatron didnât expectâ
There was a sudden whine and clank of transformation behind him, and he dropped Skywarp unceremoniously on the floor as he tried to turn. But the damage heâd taken slowed him, and a wire fell down past his helm. Instinctively he dropped his head, chin jammed against the base of his throat. The razor wire that would have sawed through his neck bit into his lower jaw instead.
Megatron spun around, or tried to. His damaged knee nearly gave way, and Vantage clung on, twisting the wire harder. It was burning hot, a line of fire sinking deep into Megatronâs face.
There was a violent crash of pulverized metal. Vantage howled, and Megatron felt the vibrations of the impact through his own plating, but the edge of the razor wire was suddenly gone. He spun on his heel. Vantage had already leaped back, the shoulder-mounted gun crumpled from where Starscream had smashed the butt of his rifle into it, but that had brought Starscream too close. The neutralizing field died in the next klik. Vantage pulled a gun and fired.
The shell hit Starscream at point-blank range, and exploded against the side of his chest. He staggered back, optics wide and blank with shock. Vantage swung the gun around to aim at Megatron, but Ravage leaped at him, teeth sinking into his arm and holding him open for the instant that Megatron needed to drive a fist into his face. Metal crumpled inward from the punch. Ravage leaped aside as, one-handed, Megatron picked Vantage off the floor and threw him across the floor.
He slammed into the side of the berth, slid down and landed in a heap, dazed but still conscious. Megatron's cannon finished charging up. Across the catacomb from him, the doors finally gave way from the pounding against them, but Vantage was between the reinforcements and Megatron. In the instant that they hesitated, Megatron raised his arm and fired.
He had one last glimpse of the terror on Vantage's face as the chief minister realized what was going to happen. Then the berth exploded in a brilliant nova of heat that hit Megatron like something solid. He reeled back, his optics shutting down automatically from the intensity of the blast. His plating was so hot that even over the ringing in his audials, he heard liquid from the fissure in his jaw sizzle as it dripped on his armor.
But none of that mattered. His vision was full of smoke and blurred shapes, but he remembered where heâd seen the guns, and he made his halting way to that alcove. As he caught the weapons up, something cracked overhead. He didn't need to look up to know that the great vaulted roof of the catacomb was giving way thanks to damage from the blast.
Then his optical system recovered enough to give him a semblance of sight, and Starscream's body was only a few mechanometers away. Megatron managed to reach him and dropped to his knees, wincing at the pain of doing so. Though that seemed nothing compared to the damage Starscream had sustained. One of his air inlets was gone, and ruined internal circuitry showed beyond the edges of broken, blackened metal. Megatron had no idea what internal components had been damaged or even destroyed by the blast. He only knew that Starscream would never leave the catacomb under his own power.
There was another way out, though, and he turned to Skywarp, who had stumbled to his side. âGet him out of here!â
âAnd go where?â Skywarp's optics were bright with panic.
Of course, he'd been kept in stasis all this time, and he had no idea where to turn to now. âPolyhex. You know where that is?â
âYeah.â Skywarp knelt beside Starscream, leaning over a little to stretch one arm across him.
âJust get there and any mechs who see him will help!â With an effort, Megatron looked away from the damage to Starscream's chest, but the sight of his face was little better. Starscream's optics were dimmed, flickering weakly, and suddenly they were lost in darkness, as all the lights in the catacomb went out at once. âThen come back forââ
There was a pale purple flash that looked even more brilliant in the dark. Megatron threw himself down at once. Gunfire roared as mechs fired at the sudden flare, but the shots missed Megatron and the light was gone at once. He wanted to crawl away from the spot and take shelter behind a column, but if Skywarp returned and couldn't find him...
Soundwave, he thought, and sent a ping over the comm channel used by the Decepticon High Command. There was no reply, though, which didnât surprise him. The automated security measures in the Altihex council chambers were probably still in effect, and those would include a complete block on radio transmissions.
Near the doors, a voice shouted an order to retreat. Lying face-down, Megatron stayed still, because the order might well be intended to trick him into moving and alerting them to his position. The next sound he heard, though, was the creak of overstressed metal overhead. The columns holding up the ceiling had been weakened by the blast, he knew at once, and the entire structure was close toâ
Gunfire roared again, but this time he felt no searing heat as trails of fire streaked above him. The impact was with the ceiling instead. Shrapnel rained down on him, and the entire catacomb shook to its foundations.
Something touched his arm and he jerked away before he saw the dulled glow of slitted red optics and realized it was Ravage. Ravage, who never let anyone except Soundwave touch him, pressed against Megatron, trembling. He disciplined his voice to calmness and spoke quietly.
âIf they reach us,â he said, âthey won't take us alive. Do you understand?â
There was the briefest pause before the comm channel snapped open and Ravage whispered, âYes.â He was clearly near collapse from exhaustion, not to mention the effects of the heat, but he was a Decepticon to the end. âYes, Megatron.â
Ravage deserved much better than that, but after a glimpse of the sort of torture the authorities in Altihex could mete out, Megatron was prepared to give them both a far quicker and less painful end. And there was no way to know if Skywarp had even reached Polyhex, let alone whether he would return for them. In a city under attack, Decepticons were likely to fire first and ask questions later, especially when it came to a mech suddenly materializing in their midst.
And, of course, if Polyhex had fallen, both Seekers were probably dead by now.
The crack overhead sounded as though a battering-ram had slammed down against the ceiling. Megatronâs cannon charged up for the final time, because even a roof collapse might only send him offline so he could be dug out by his enemies later. After he fired, they could put whatever was left of his head on a stake, but he doubted anyone would recognize it.
Part of the ceiling crashed down nearby, making him jolt. This is it, then, he thought, and lifted his arm.
Light flashed brightly purple near him. Skywarp glanced around as though he was disoriented, but Megatron surged up from the floor with the last of his strength, and Skywarp turned towards him. He grabbed Megatronâs outstretched hand. Ravage leaped up and transformed, landing in Megatronâs other hand, and Skywarp teleported.
The world became a kaleidoscope. It whirled around Megatron, so fast that all he saw was a dazzling blur. All his internal components felt as though theyâd been wrenched out of his frame, an oddly painless but terrifying sensation that left him hollow, and a cold glittering wind flew through the emptiness inside him. The gale sent him tumbling in its wake, until he slammed into the ground.
The ground was mercifully solid. Megatron clutched at it in case the teleportation snatched him away again, but when he saw Skywarp slumped beside him, he knew that wouldnât be happening again.
Except they werenât in Polyhex. He pushed himself up, his arms shaking a little as exhaustion began to catch up with him. Around them was bare ground marked by nothing but the treads of vehicles, an empty and endless stretch in every direction.
âWhat happened?â he asked, though he guessed they were in the wasteland miles outside Polyhex.
Skywarp lifted his head wearily, his optics so dim they were nearly offline. âRan out ofâŠâ
He didnât finish that, but he didnât need to. Teleportation probably consumed a lot of energy, Megatron realized, and if Skywarp had been kept in stasis all that time, there would have been no reason for anyone to top up his fuel level. That heâd managed to save their lives was enough, but the question for now was whether the Decepticons would reach them before any of the Altihex militia did. He sent a ping to Soundwave. Ravage transformed and stood on rigid legs, tail-antenna swiveling, optics searching the sky.
But the channel opened, and Megatron had never been more relieved to hear his communications officerâs steady, emotionless voice. âAll Decepticons outside Polyhex alerted to your location,â Soundwave said. âAirachnid replies : en route.â
âGood.â Megatron felt too tired to fight any other enemies off, but wait⊠how many Decepticons were outside Polyhex, and why? âThe battle?â
Shockwave joined the command channel. âPolyhex stands, sir,â he said. âThe survivors of the Altihex militia have retreated. We are now securing the walls and the area immediately surrounding the city.â
âWell done.â He knew better than to ask if Starscream was safe, because both his lieutenants had far more important priorities, and in any event, he had no intention of giving anyone the impression that some prisoner was so important to him. Besides, he would find out soon enough.
And then what? But heâd deal with that matter if and when it happened. For now, the most important thing was to return to Polyhexâhis audials picked up the distant thrum of rotor blades in the distance, and he guessed it was Airachnidâthen after that, see to rebuilding the city before any opportunists decided to take advantage of the battleâs effects.
