Title: Swansong

Rating: changed to M

Verse: G1

Genre: drama, H/C

Characters: Starscream, Thundercracker, Skywarp, Autobot ensemble

Warnings: threesome, spark-sex, voyeurism. Explicit sex-scenes will be censored on ffnet, full chapters in AO3 (link in my profile).

Summary: Starscream has a secret and concerned about his trine-mates so he plays matchmaker. Written in loose fashion after a kinkmeme prompt which I read quite a while ago and now I can't find.

Note: klik – Cybertronian second, breem - Cybertronian minute, joor – Cybertronian hour, orn/cycle – Cybertronian day, groon – Cybertronian month, vorn – Cybertronian year (a lot of Earth years). Hic – Cybertronian kilometer

Note2: the specific way of spark merging by pulsing out the spark-energy is used in the fic by permission of ladydragon76.

Note3: I got a few reviews and PMs about spark-sex not needing to be censored. I still think that all kinds of sex is sex for Transformers, and neither is inappropriate in a story, but I got convinced and updated the chapters accordingly.

Secretive

"Starscream!" – Megatron's furious roar could be heard everywhere on the battlefield. – "If you don't come here right now, I'll deactivate you."

Even Optimus Prime was somewhat surprised by the annoyed order. Sure, they've always seen and heard the contempt the warlord handled his Second with, but this time, Megatron actually sounded serious with the threat. It was illogical really, as the Seekers were in a heated aerial battle with the Aerialbots and he could see no visible reason why Megatron would need his SIC right then. But who was he to try to find out his enemy's reasons… he distracted the tyrant from his target with a strong punch to his faceplates, engaging him with their private battle.

A bit further afield a few other mechs also took notice of the order. Sideswipe – whose jetpack was damaged the last time, so he was forced to stay on the ground – quickly checked the Seekers' positions, following them with his blaster, but not shooting, because the Aerialbots were too close around them. He watched the battle overhead interestedly, not really expecting the stubborn Seeker to leave for any ranting that Megatron could throw at him. Not that he could have left the battle safely, the frontliner thought, it was really a close one. The five Aerialbots were really giving a run for the Seekers' money this time and all of them had some slightly smoking or sparkling wounds on their wings.

Interestingly, Starscream didn't seem to be as confident as usual either and his superior speed wasn't noticeable either. He was still good in the air, but it was more his experience and skill than the speed he was so famous for. Turning sharply in the air with a quick transformation sequence, the Air Commander spun and shot at Silverbolt, who had to roll fast to avoid getting hit. But the move put him in Air Raid's way and the younger flier didn't hesitate to shoot him, late to duck as the tricoloured Seeker uncharacteristically was.

Sideswipe watched with growing interest as Skywarp teleported frantically in front of his trine-leader, taking the shot that would have hit Starscream in the fuselage, possibly causing a serious injury from the close shot. There were some shouts that he couldn't quite catch and then to his and everyone else's surprise the three Seekers started to withdraw from the fight, covering each other with great skill but at the same time noticeably retreating. It was even more surprising because Megatron hasn't ordered a retreat, quite the opposite, he was shouting at them to get the frag back to the battle, looking almost deranged in his fury.

But the Seekers didn't turn back. Sideswipe saw the Aerialbots pursuing them for awhile, but after some hics they gave it up to get back to the battle and find some targets for themselves that were more ready to fight. Megatron was promising the Pit to his recalcitrant Seekers but he was busier now with their retreat and with Optimus Prime occupying his attention.

"What the frag was that?" – Sideswipe commed to Silverbolt, as he paused for a klik in pummeling the Stunticons. – "The Screamer ran?"

"Don't know. He wasn't quite himself" – came Silverbolt's answer – "We beat them off easier than ever."

"Maybe they lack fuel. Didn't have a lot of luck lately, have they?"

"Could be."

But Sideswipe couldn't waste more time conversing with Silverbolt, as the battle was turning chaotic. Even without the Seekers, the Decepticons pressed on, clearly desperate to rob as much energon as they could. It took several more breems of frantic fighting before Sideswipe saw the dark shuttle and the triplechanger one lifting off with their precious cargo, all available Con covering their way out, before Megatron called a hurried retreat. Sideswipe and his brother was put to work as usual with helping to clear away the bigger debris that the battle caused in the human structures, so he didn't have any more time to think about the events that transpired any more. Consequently, he didn't notice that the Aerialbots flying overhead, covering them from above were only four in number.

-o-o-o-

Air Raid flew after the Seekers both because Silverbolt ordered it and because they all were curious about their strange behaviour. They noticed in the last few battles that Starscream's trine-mates grew increasingly protective of him, even in the face of his occasional protests and annoyed screeches. The Aerialbots all knew of course that the Trine was far closer than most Autobots thought and that their seemingly cold behaviour towards each other was nothing more than a façade. Starscream was unobtrusively shielding his wingmates from Megatron with all his annoying bravado and provocations of the tyrant, while the other two tried to give no blackmail material for the other Cons. Still, lately this façade started to have cracks in it, as the younger Seekers became strangely protective of their leader.

The Seekers had a little headstart though and Air Raid had to search for them – the Trine suspiciously didn't leave towards the Nemesis. Their signals were weak and he had to really concentrate on following them as they had gone further and further from the battlefield, the Ark and the Decepticons as well. He almost gave it up after a joor, since Silverbolt told him not to call attention to himself and he should really have gone back with the others by this time. But suddenly, two of the signals started to strengthen, like heading towards him and Air Raid remembered that he, too was trackable and without his brothers he was distinctly a minority against the Seekers.

The two spots that started to grow in front of him took on bluish and black colours and Air Raid knew that something was really, really strange. For Starscream to leave his trine-mates to intercept a following jet while he was continuing to drop off the younger flier's map, was nearly unheard of. The Air Commander, despite of Megatron's oft repeated debasements was not a coward and three on one odds were safe in anyone's books. Still, he wouldn't discover anything by turning back, so Air Raid continued on his intercept route until the two Seekers grew to noticeable size and fired some warning shots around his wings.

"Look, I mean no harm!" – he commed on an open frequency – "We were… wondering if everything was all right?"

He got no answer to his admittedly lame question, but the shots came closer and one even grazed the underside of his right wing. It hurt, but Air Raid knew that had they shot seriously, he wouldn't be still flying. He didn't mean to talk to them really, they were planning more like a little spying on the Trine, like Fireflight did sometimes, but he was discovered far too early for that.

"Okay, I will just… leave if you're so serious?"

Still no answer but the two jets were distinctly herding him backwards, away from… wherever they were going. Air Raid gave up. He was unsuited to sneaking, just like most if not all jets and he didn't want to force the issue, not to mention being overwhelmed by the Seekers. Turning around visibly and setting a nice, obviously Ark-ward course, he saw the silent Seekers remain behind. His last thought about them was how strange it was to hear not a single word from even Skywarp.

-o-o-o-

Jazz saw Air Raid leaving the battlefield and conferring with Prowl, between the two of them they could very well guess the reason for it too. While Jazz had more problems on the ground to watch the aerial battle, Prowl did, and he too saw the uncharacteristic behaviour of the Seekers. While they trusted the Aerialbots enough not to be worried when Air Raid followed the retreating Seekers, Prowl suspected that whatever the Con fliers hid was more important than the young Aerialbot could discover. It then took less than a klik to formulate a plan, notify the Prime about it and comm Mirage to help Jazz to leave the battlefield unseen.

While the Porsche couldn't follow the Seekers, he could certainly track Air Raid – and with his unwilling and unknown help he kept after the Trine too. When Thundercracker and Skywarp chased back the younger flier, he got the chance not only to catch up with them, but as he soon learned their final destination wasn't so far either so as to loose them from scanning range. After the Aerialbot left, the two Seekers calmed down and Jazz could track them to a huge, empty warehouse in a deserted industrial area. Once close to it, the saboteur transformed quietly and sneaked among the mostly ruined buildings and heaps of debris until reaching his target.

The warehouse was gutted and in a sorry state with most windows broken and half the roof leaning ominously over the empty space. It was easier than ever in his career to spy on the Seekers inside as the building itself offered several smaller holes that he could employ. The two newly arrived Seekers were moving around, obviously familiar with the place and Jazz even noticed Thundercracker placing the recently acquired energon cubes into a small crate, leaving some out that he carried to the other two. Skywarp sat down beside Starscream who was sitting propped up by one wall, lightly petting a wing and talking quietly.

Sneaking to another, closer hole Jazz increased his audial sensitivity. Here, the Seekers were nearly backwards to him, Starscream almost beside the hole he chose and he could only see their faceplates from profile – but they were more audible. Skywarp absentmindedly fiddled with the torn plating on Starscream's wing but Jazz rather thought that it was just a make-believe effort and the Seeker's self-healing would take better care of it than the teleporter's fumbling digits.

"Star, here, drink it." - Thundercracker almost had to force a cube to Starscream's servo.

"A waste of materials…" – the tricoloured Seeker murmured, his rasping voice quieter than Jazz ever heard it.

"Just… just drink it okay?"

Starscream shrugged and sipped from the cube listlessly. Jazz subtly scanned the Seeker almost in front of him but he could see no reason for him to be so enervated. Even when Megatron beat the Seeker ragged for one reason or another, he was more angry, more resentful and stubborn… more lively in short. This listless leaning to the wall after escaping from the battle and obeying his younger trine-mate's order was about as far from the flier's usual behaviour than say Prowl's calm from Grimlock's rage.

"You two should go back to the Nemesis and tell Megatron that I crashed and you don't know where." – Starscream lifted his helm and spoke with only a tiny spark of his usual authority. – "Before it is too late for that…"

"What about you?" – Skywarp asked with a strangely deep concern in his frown.

"I won't deactivate." – Starscream sighed through his vents. – "But I can't go back now."

Jazz wondered why. Of course there was that disobedience during the battle and leaving early with some energon that he probably shouldn't have taken, but in truth it wasn't that unusual. Megatron would probably beat him to scrap, maybe throw him into the brig, but it wasn't like Starscream hasn't got that treatment a thousand times before. Thundercracker slowly got to his thrusters, standing hesitantly in front of Skywarp.

"We need to get that device he needs."

"We should stay with Star…" – the teleporter whispered, looking up to him, one servo still on a white wing, trembling slightly.

"No, you shouldn't." – Starscream snapped with a spark of his old air – "You go back and act like nothing happened. I'll be fine. Don't destroy your standing."

Thundercracker held out a servo to Skywarp, the younger Seeker taking it and letting him to pull him up from beside Starscream. He looked back down to his trine-leader, doubt clearly written on his expressive faceplates but in the end both Seekers moved slowly towards the door. Starscream shooed them out impatiently and waited unmoving until their engine noise died down. Jazz didn't dare to move a single limb as the Seeker seemed to listen carefully to his mates' sounds as they died down in the distance.

When the last sound was gone Starscream seemed to slump down with a sigh and his wings sagged heavily from his back. He put down the half drank cube carefully from his servo onto the dirty ground and pulled up his legs, curling into a loose ball. From his viewpoint close up, Jazz could see the minor trembling that ran across the white wings regularly and heard the soft sobs that had to come from the Seeker. He was shocked to his core. Not even he associated Starscream ever with crying. The mystery grew and Jazz decided to get to the end of it. But not this cycle, he thought; Starscream seemed to fall into recharge, the other Seekers were gone and he'd need to report to the Prime. But he'd come back as soon as he could in the next orn.

-o-o-o-

"Prime, there is something wrong with that Seeker, I'm sure."

"But you said that your scan didn't show anything out of order in him?"

"That's what I said, right. But it isn't like Screamer to give up like that and stay away from Megatron. He even ordered his trine back."

"While unusual, it can still be something between them. Starscream plotting to overthrow my brother or the like."

Jazz was silent for a klik and when he answered, his voice was unusually introspective.

"Prime, I believe I've never seen Starscream cry. Not for any reason, not for any pain or loss. Whatever is going on is serious enough for that and we shouldn't ignore it."

"Prime, I believe Silverbolt mentioned Starscream acting odd in his report." – Prowl added – "If the Aerialbots noticed it too it should be investigated further. If Starscream leaves his faction, it has the possibility to change the balance of power; if he draws his trine with him even more so."

"Very well then. Jazz, you may go back to that warehouse and observe Starscream as long as needed. Will you take anyone else?"

"No, Prime, Sir – but I might ask Ratchet for a medical scanner."

"You have a hunch." – Optimus Prime knew Jazz and his devious way of thinking. Few other Autobots could think so farfetched ideas as the saboteur and he was more often good at them than failing to guess correctly.

"I do, Sir. Several in fact." – Jazz flashed a grin but did not come out with his ideas. Ohh, he'd tell if the Prime ordered him, but he knew that Optimus wouldn't; the Prime trusted him enough to make that judgment.

"Just… go then Jazz."

Jazz turned serious the klik he stepped outside Optimus Prime's office. Stopping in med-bay and telling Ratchet about the scanner he wanted to take was a wise move even for a spec ops agent – he wouldn't want the medic to be angry, as it was decidedly unhealthy for everyone involved. Transforming, he drove in the early morning light, enjoying the empty roads in the long way till the Seekers' hiding place. Just as he was getting close, his sensors pinged and Jazz stopped at a parking lot, waiting while the jets soared overhead until the way was once again clear – and continued his way transformed, using the rubble and abandoned buildings for secrecy. It was quite disgusting to wade in the half organic rubbish that was collecting by the walls of the abandoned buildings.

In the daylight the warehouse looked even more decrepit than the previous afternoon, basically just a ruin waiting to happen. Not a nice place to hide, even for desperate Seekers out to get away and stay safe from Megatron, the humans and the Autobots too. Jazz found the hole that he employed the previous cycle and cautiously peeked into the building. To his surprise, Starscream sat exactly the same place, like he hasn't moved an inch and even the almost full cube was beside him. It was about the cube and its contents that Thundercracker exhorted him for not drinking any, while Skywarp stood forlornly beside the blue Seeker and watched the exchange.

"Slaggit Star, why are you so stubborn?"

Jazz almost snorted behind the wall. What a question to ask from Starscream, of all mechs…

"Drink that right now, and after I'll set up this… thing you made us steal from Hook."

"I stole it" – Skywarp pipped up – "So you'd better use it Stars."

"Right… it isn't like I'm not sure, but…" – Starscream shrugged but his wings remained drooping, lifeless. Neither Seekers' wings were any higher, Jazz suddenly noticed. – "What did Buckethead say?"

"He ranted the usual." – Thundercracker scowled darkly – "But he didn't question us any."

"Soundwave?"

"Didn't say anything. Hard to tell with him but I think he bought it too."

"Good. You can go back then. I suppose you are on patrol now?"

"Yeah" – it was Skywarp answering, while Thundercracker scowled even deeper at the notion of going back.

"If we don't stay with you, you won't even drink energon."

"It is useless… but if it puts your processor at ease, I will." – Starscream lifted the cube to his faceplates and started to sip the bright liquid.

"It doesn't!" – Thundercracker nearly exploded – "How can I…"

"TC, stop it, please." – Starscream wasn't even shouting but still, his voice stopped the angry blue Seeker in his rant before he could start it.

Silence fell onto the warehouse. Thundercracker pulled out a contraption from his subspace and started fiddling with it, while Skywarp sat beside Starscream and started to caress a drooping wing. Jazz silently pulled out the medical scanner he brought with him and pointed its business end to the Seeker, barely a few meters from him. He scanned the upper torso and checked for the markers Ratchet told him to look out for. The Seekers gave every indication of Starscream being sparked up, from caring and protecting him till hiding from Megatron and now devices from Hook…

Still, the small scanner's gauges remained defiantly near the baselines, telling stubbornly that there was no other spark in Starscream's chamber, no glaringly obvious anomalies aside from the expected small battle-wounds and therefore no easy solution for the growing mystery. Jazz continued the scan but he was way out of his depth with the level of readings the device could take, which would need a medic to interpret. He sent the whole packet back to the Ark, flagged for Ratchet to get started on analyzing it, while he was out there and continued to listen.

"You gave up completely, don't you?" – Thundercracker's deep voice drew his attention back to the inside of the building. He was crouching in front of Starscream, holding the device that had a data cable going from it to the Seeker's servo. He offered the connecting end to Starscream, who straightened up a bit and slid his cockpit aside, exposing the spark port. Jazz almost hissed seeing the casual movement – the innermost port that led to the spark chamber was serious business.

"What is there to hope, TC? This?" – he pointed to the device while plugging its connector into his port – "This is to humor you. I know what it will tell."

"Forgive us that we still hope then." – the blue Seeker's voice was frustrated and angry but tinged with a hopelessness, belying his words. Skywarp's vocalizer hitched a sob and his servo tightened a bit over the white metal.

"I'd love to be wrong TC… you must know that."

At that klik an insistent ping tore Jazz's attention from the Seekers, demanding immediate comm connection. Jazz withdrew a few meters cautiously and called Ratchet back.

"What is it Ratchet?"

"That packet you sent. It must be faulty." – Ratchet's voice was seriously upset even through the comm line – "In the menu, there is a preprogrammed scan setting called Omega12. Run that on Starscream… I guess you've scanned him before?"

"Yeah, Ratch. Should I ask what that is?"

"Trouble. Run it now."

Jazz found the medic's agitated stance strange but he found the setting and turned the scanner to Starscream again, sending the results straight back this time.

"Primus!" – came the answer from Ratchet after some breems – "No surprise he is acting strange."

"Tell me. Is he carrying after all?"

"If only…" – Ratchet's voice took up a sad tinge – "He is nearly dead"

"What?"

"His spark is nearly guttered out. I'm surprised he is still able to be up and around."

"Why? You mean an injury?"

"No… in fact I'm not sure. But I don't think so. I'm going there."

"Ratchet, no!"

But it was too late, the medic has already cut the line. Jazz swore inwardly and called Prowl. Ratchet was perfectly capable, not to mention likely to just up and leave the Ark alone if he saw a helpless, damaged mech, no matter if it was a Decepticon or not, disregarding his own safety and the Autobot interests in the act. While it was shocking news that the Decepticon Air Commander was dying, Jazz couldn't help but think of it in terms of military influence. Starscream's demise would throw his trine-mates into mourning and all the Seekers into disarray with the loss of their leader - and it would unbalance Megatron's rule over his faction as well. Among other things.

Not that he wanted to see Starscream dying, or he took any joy in it, Jazz thought scowling. Far from it – he did enjoy the Seeker's spunk when they were both younger and less hardened by the war and if anything, he'd've wished an honourable deactivation for the mech, in a battle, gloriously, as probably he would want to go out, as it was befitting for a Seeker warrior. This… dying slowly in a decrepit human warehouse alone… this wasn't it.

The ambulance pulled up by the building with no attempts for secrecy, with squealing tires and thrown gravel flying everywhere. In the distance, Jazz could see Prowl and Prime, a little behind the twins' distinctive forms and colours. Okay, so the time for hiding was over. He stepped out of his hiding place as the blue and black Seekers jumped outside with weapons in hand, pointed at the newcomers, while Starscream covered them from behind a half crumbled wall. Jazz noticed that he still hardly moved from the place he sat down three orns ago.

"Stop!" – Skywarp screamed furiously seeing all the Autobots closing around them. They were outnumbered, but he'd be damned if he gave up without a fight. Thundercracker looked equally determined beside him. – "Go away, slaggers!"

"Skywarp! I came to help! ... if I still can" – Ratchet pleaded, trying to go forward, but the twins held him back.

"Sure. Came to help… with a fragging army." – Thundercracker snarled at them.

"I didn't ask them to come." – Ratchet finally shook the twins' servos off but stopped before Skywarp would shoot him for coming too close.

"Ratchet, I think you owe us an explanation – why did you take off all alone?" – Optimus Prime was a bit worried about the enraged Seekers but knew his medic too. Ratchet would not give up whatever he was actually doing… but he could be reasoned. But the explanation came from a different direction. Starscream stood behind the half crumbled wall, the lead from the device still connected to his chest port.

"You can all go away" – he sneered – "It isn't like we caused any harm to anyone being here."

"Like you could stand not doing any destruction!" – Sunstreaker snarled right back, cerulean optics flashing a deadly glare, causing both Seekers to hiss and turn their weapons to him.

"Sunstreaker!" – Prowl admonished the yellow twin – "Let the Prime and Starscream talk about this."

"Starscream… my medic told me most disturbing news about your… condition. Is it true?"

"You have no right to stick your sensors into my business!"

"It is true… but technically you are a Deception and I have to care you being here."

"Technically, I'm not a Decepticon any more." – Starscream snarled back to Optimus Prime's calm sentence. – "I left the Nemesis and I can't go back."

"Are you a Neutral then?"

"Guess so…" – Starscream shrugged, like he couldn't care much what the Autobot leader called him. – "You could say that."

"What about your Trine? They did go back once."

"If that is your problem we can be Neutrals too." – Thundercracker interrupted them. – "Sorry, Stars, I haven't been completely honest with you before… Megatron was furious with your disappearance. Shot Warp for a single word, he had to teleport away from it. If we went back, it'd probably be even worse."

Optimus Prime looked the three Seekers over. They still held their guns up but the stances were far less tense and there was a dejected quality in all three of them that gave credence to their words. Still, he couldn't let them stay here and probably harm humans as they tried to get energon.

"This world belongs to the Humans and you threaten them by your presence. Even if I accept your claim of neutrality, I'd have to ask you either to leave Earth or come back to the Ark with us."

"I can't fragging leave this mudball any more…." – Starscream's voice was dry and bitter. One of his servos clamped onto the decrepit wall, as if for support. His wings hung low on his back and if Optimus saw it right, the tips were either very dirty or… graying?

"Is it true then?"

"What is true?"

"Ratchet says that you are… damaged seriously."

"Call it what it is Prime. I am dying."

The silence was ringing for the next few kliks. None of them moved or even shifted, the air between the ruined buildings suddenly felt colder, ominous, dark, despite of the broad daylight. The twins looked each other, the utterance silencing their snark too. Optimus saw Thundercracker's aggressive posture slump, his wings tremble at the stark utterance from his trine-leader. It was serious then…

"One more reason to come with us. Maybe Ratchet could…"

"Oh please. I am a scientist. I know an irreversible condition when I see it."

"Stars… maybe he is right…" – Skywarp's optics were almost pleading as he looked at his trine leader – "Ratchet was the best fragging medic on Cybertron. He might…"

"I won't have him experimenting on me!" – Starscream could still screech. Albeit… the fire just wasn't in it any more. But the fury was.

"I didn't mean that!" – Optimus Prime protested.

He looked at Ratchet for help but he was shocked by the helpless expression on the medic's faceplates. He had his own scanner out and while they were arguing he took the time to thoroughly scan Starscream and the device still connected to him. He sighed and as he felt the Prime's glance on him, slowly shook his helm. It was as Starscream said, hopeless. The damage was too widespread, the spark far too weak and atrophied. It was a miracle that it could still power his frame as well as it did.

"Even your medic knows. Why can't you let me deactivate in peace?"

"In peace, Starscream? I see you hiding from the humans in a half crumbled ruin around that could go down on you any breem, in the middle of a human scrapheap, surviving on stolen, dirty energon. Is this the way you want to go in peace?"

"It is… it is what I have." – he whispered and it was painful to hear such an admission from the proud Decepticon Seeker. Optimus Prime made a sudden decision that he knew would be argued by and contested by many of his Autobots.

"I offer you a place with your Trine. If your condition is truly irreversible – which I'd be sorry to hear, even if you don't believe me – spend your remaining time in comfort at least."

"I don't care about comfort." – Starscream was still arguing but Ratchet saw his resolve crumbling slowly. His dying spark would cause him pretty uncomfortable last months – as it weakened, he'd be forever cold, aching with unhealing damages and in the ruined building he would be at the mercy of the winter weather; freezing, wet and miserable. They would have to steal energon from the humans, which would bring the Autobots on them again. The humans might discover them and in his weakened state, even Starscream would be in danger from the worst of them.

"Is it so offensive the place we can offer for you? Don't let your pride blind you…"

"We were Decepticons. Don't say that you wouldn't be holding us as prisoners. A place, you say? A place locked up, grounded, mistrusted, harassed? I don't think it'd be worth a little comfort!" – he spat the offensive word again and Optimus Prime had to admit that he had a little truth in there. – "If I can't die in peace, then at least I'd prefer it to be free."

"I swear that you wouldn't be prisoners. If I can have your word not to create problems, if you swear to remain neutral, I'll do my best to make your stay comfortable."

"I would reformat any mech who cause you problems." – Ratchet swore.

"I think we can work out an arrangement that is satisfactory for all of us." – Prowl added.

Sideswipe for his part said nothing, but inside he was sure that he'd never prank a mech dying – unless it was a real funny prank making his mood better. Even Sunstreaker was glowering with less animosity at the Seekers, only half believing the story, worried about the medic but knowing that he wouldn't lie about such a thing.

Thundercracker looked at Starscream, his opinion firmly decided already; he'd do anything for the trine-leader to be comfortable and maybe even have a chance with Ratchet's expertise, no matter what they both seemed to believe now. Staying with the Autobots was not his first choice but for Star he would do it. Skywarp was less enthusiastic about the idea but he wouldn't leave either of them. Starscream stood by the wall, leaning on it heavily as they argued through the comm. Finally, he gave up. For him it was no matter any more but for TC and Warp the Autobots might be a better choice than Megatron after he was gone – and to give them a chance to get used to the Bots they had to go now.

"Fine. We will go with you Prime. We will remain neutral and not cause any troubles. But I want assurances too."

"You shall have it, Starscream." – Optimus Prime was solemn as he promised it. He'd do everything for the Seekers as long as they remained peaceful.

"How can you get to the Ark?"

"I can still fly Autobot!" – Starscream was indignant – "I'm not an invalid."

"Sorry. I didn't mean to imply that…"

But instead of jumping in the air and transforming, it was Skywarp who teleported him up to the bright sky and held him until transforming. That little scene told them much about the proud Seeker's condition, the fact that he allowed it happen in front of grounder witnesses, Autobots even. The rest of them started their way back, Prowl comming ahead so that the guards wouldn't shot the Seekers who would arrive earlier.

-o-o-o-

"Ratchet." – Sideswipe whispered to him while they drove back. – "How come the Screamer is so bad off now? He looked just fine in the last battle, just a few orns ago."

"I must admit I was wondering the same." – Optimus's deep voice joined them – "Does this illness act so fast?"

"Actually, no. He must have felt its first signs vorns ago. But it acts in waves, worsening his spark's condition suddenly, then staying the same for a long time, even getting better before the next wave. Probably only lately it has worsened to the point of being perceivable for others."

"Actually, several of our mechs reported small signs in recent battles." – Prowl added to the medic's explanations – "Jazz's mission was exactly to find out the reason for those."

"Yeah, well. We thought he was maybe sparked up… signs were right for that too on the surface."

"So we fought with a terminally ill mech in the last… what, few vorns?" – Sunstreaker sounded seriously freaked out and Sideswipe completely agreed with him. – "Was he mad? Uhhh… forget I asked. Of course he is."

"I'm not sure how long has he known. Starscream is a scientist, I can't believe that a thing like that would avoid his notice for long. It is rare but not unknown among Seekers."

"So he knew and he still fought. Did it worsen his… illness?"

"No… it is a rare condition, I've only heard about a few cases before the war and none since; but it seems to be little affected by circumstances or actions and it runs its own course until the very end. It is probable that Megatron's… treatment of him has worsened it more than fighting in battles… but even that is just a conjecture."

"No surprise there… but still he stayed."

"Starscream is one of those who fought for their cause out of conviction. The Seekers were badly mistreated back then. A mech like him wouldn't abandon their faction for a mere illness, even if it was fatal, while he could still fight."

"Then why did he leave now?"

"Because he couldn't fight as well as he used to be and Megatron is less than accepting of any weaknesses." – Sunstreaker snorted at their inability to understand. He, the closest thing the Autobots had for a true warrior, got it perfectly – "In his situation, I'd do the same."

Noone could say much after that, the Autobot convoy drove is silence until they reached the Ark. At the entrance, the three Seekers and the two guards stood with drawn weapons and exchanged fortunately only insults not shots. Prowl sighed. He knew Cliffjumper would not take it well to let the Seekers stay peacefully and he was right. Optimus Prime, on the other servo was dressing down the surprised minibot for not obeying the order he was given. Starscream smirked smugly as they were escorted to the medbay, into an isolation unit, his trine-mates sticking close to him nervously. It was where they'd stay until Optimus could arrange their stay with the other Autobot officers, Grapple and Hoist could transform the nearby big storage area into secure quarters for the Seekers and the agreement could be finalized for their stay.