Title: Flicker

Rating: M (Rated for: Violence, Sexual Situations, Death, Abuse)

Author: EcontraBlue

Author's Note:

This is a pre- Transformers Prime timeline. Much of the Cybertron lore and past hinted at in the TFP series are too fertile for me to resist. There are some alterations to the Aligned continuity using IDW and G1 for backstory but most of the primary characters will be from the TFP show. See more notes at the bottom.

Summary:

Before coming to earth, the Decepticon warship Nemesis spent millennium in space facing trials of starvation, mutiny and uncertainty. There among the Decepticon elite and the last remnants of the army, Megatron and his future second-in-command, Starscream form the lasting bonds that tie them together for better or worse.


Chapter 2: Dark Path

Flashback:

Lithe forms shot across the hot thermals of the volcanic vents of Luna 2. A team of seekers, led by a light tetra jet, split apart and flew in spiralling formation, spreading out like a controlled explosion.

The leader spun, hugging tight to a volcanic ridge, replaying the last moments he and his trine had been on Cybertron.

Commander Starscream?

Yes, Enforcer Springarm, Enforcer Wheelarc?

You and your trine are being re-commissioned for service on Luna-2.

What?

I realize that you were not informed, which is why I came personally to deliver you this news.

But we already met our quota! We only just got back!

I understand that you are upset. However, there were circumstances beyond our control.

B-But we only just finished with our repairs.

Personal sacrifices have to be made for the greater good, Commander. You're the only unit back and functional- we had no other options.

This is some kind of joke! I REFUSE! Tell your prime if he wants so much energon he can go heave around in space himself. I'm not some miner that can just be ord-HRGHN-

Starscream! Star-

Everyone calm down. We are escorting you and your Commander back to a transport heading to Luna-2. This is not a discussion, it is an order. Please form a line and begin your departure protocols.

Starscream sliced at the air with his talons and felt a strong pain of hunger as a reward for his erratic motions. HUD warnings were flashing in his peripheral vision, warning him that the integrity of his wings and outer armor were beginning to corrupt due to lack of energon. It had been 3 miserable vorns on Cybertron's second moon, searching like rogue scraplets for even the smallest deposit of energon. They were all running ragged and desperation was beginning to wear even at his trine bonds.

'Skywarp, Thundercracker. Report.' Starscream stood on the volcanic peak, the fumes from the moon's dark craters making his vents work harder to keep his intakes from clogging. From his vantage point he could detect any energon nearby, the sensors in his helm and long forearms searching desperately for the fuel he and his squadron needed.

'Nothing.' Thundercracker's voice was low and smooth but his signal was fading due to fatigue. 'This place truly is a desert. I don't know what they were expecting when they sent us out here.'

'Uh, I can fill that unknown for you.' Skywarp's tone was less even and he growled. 'They wanted us to go out here and DIE. One less squadron of seekers to feed. There's nothing out here, Scream.'

Starscream lacked the energy to correct his lackey in regards to his nickname. There was a small wave of...warm energy, just a soft brush against his right servo, and he cocked his head. Of all his squadron, Starscream was the most sensitive to the resonance of crystallized Energon in its natural state. It had made him a prized mech despite his eccentric and sometimes grating personality for the past few millennia.

'Rendezvous back at camp, I am going to make a flyby. Check the other trines for leads and isolate the ones going into stasis.'

'Yes Commander.' Thundercracker replied, and Skywarp made an exhausted noise of assent.

Starscream took to a thermal caused by the heat escaping from the volcanic vents and allowed his sensors to extend his EM field. He fell into a semi-state of trance and drifted, trying to feel that little wave of energy. As his body fell into its most efficient mode of flight, his mind began to wander as well.

Skywarp was right. His Squadron and several others had been sent out to remote and barren areas in an attempt by the Senate to procure any reserves of Energon that might be hidden.

But they had also been sent because there were riots and shortages in every city on Cybertron. Their planet was dying. There wasn't enough to support the masses of mechs that all lived on its surface and the ones who still had power were squeezing their chokehold as tight as possible to prevent all out anarchy.

There was a veneer of opulence that fooled the common citizen, but underneath it was all rust. The Senate, the Enforcers, the Iaconian Elite and their promises of order and peace at all costs. All rust painted over with a glossy finish.

Starscream and his squadron had been deployed to the second moon that circled Cybertron. Once a fertile source of crystallized Energon, back even before the Golden Age- it had already been depleted thousands of vorns ago- hollowed out by massive miners whose build type was no longer found even in the database of Vector Sigma itself. But there will still blips of deposits scattered around the husk- small veins of crystal not worth those legendary machine's time. The squadrons of desperate Energon Seekers who came back empty-handed were slapped with demotions and most eventually were...reassigned a new model or disappeared entirely.

This couldn't go on much longer. Starscream ground his denta at the idea of finding Energon only to hand it over to government and its puppet Sentinel Prime. He and his squadron did all of the work and received only a minor stipend for their starvation and scouting. It couldn't keep happening. Starscream had been searching now, not only for Energon, but for an escape. He knew that there were people who would pay for raw Energon- but to go AWOL and take such a thing with him- it would be an end to his credibility in the current establishment.

The swell of energy was almost palpable to his starving frame and Starscream let the sensation wash over him. He knew he was getting closer to the source.

He needed to think of a solution- he had always been lucky with finding enough Energon to come back home- but now his success was coming back to haunt him. The officials were setting higher and higher quotas for his squadron. It wasn't fair! It wasn't just that they had all been leashed into this slavery. He had never wanted to be an Energon seeker. Despite his model class, he had always felt more inclined to pursue exploration and engineering- not the most base element that powered it. Now the chance to pursue his career as a scientist was halted by accidental tragedy but also by Cybertronian culture itself. Why did he have to starve on Luna 2 just to power undeserving mechs off his own discoveries?

He hadn't shared it with his trine brothers, but lately Starscream had been spending a lot of time venting his frustrations- watching the illegal and controversial political feeds and matches of the activist and gladiator, Megatronus. The mech was right about everything. He knew more than any of the polished high-caste who all looked at Starscream with their soft blue eyes and blunt fingers. Megatronus, it was rumored and certainly reflected in his build, had been a miner on Luna 2. One of the last of his class, now obsolete and put to use for entertainment. He had been forced to fight in the Pits of Kaon, and his hatred for the upperclass drew the put upon and the starving like iron to a ferromagnet. He was well-spoken and he had a viciousness that made Starscream want to sing his quotes to the overseers that he reported to after every mission. And it was so satisfying to see him beat all of the Iaconian 'Champions' into paste in the ring.

That was a mech that deserved the energon he was finding more than the Senate and their cronies in Iacon. His answers were brutal, passionate, and true.

There. He felt the source of the energy. It was rooted inside a sheer cliff wall. He circled, gliding without his engines firing, transforming and landing on his heeled feet, the points digging into the rock, his claws burying in, easily holding his light form. Wind was picking up, but he barely felt it as it whipped by. His free hand sliced at the rock and pulled huge chunks from the cliff wall, until he had a tentative perch to continue his task. His claws were quite skilled at clearing rock and debris, deftly working into faults and scattering useless mineral.

The tips of his talons hit a huge blue vein a few minutes in and Starscream's face lit with joy. The more he dug, the more seemed to appear. Chips flew into the wind and he burrowed deeper. He laughed as he commed his Trinemates. 'At last,' he crowed, 'I found our ticket out of here- it only took 3 vorns with you fools.'

'Yay, we can have berths.' came Skywarp's tired but happy reply. 'And I don't ever want to see Luna 2 again.'

'How big is it, Commander?' Thundercracker's coarse voice asked. 'Is it really enough to meet quota?'

'Its enough.' Starscream replied. 'Shame that it should go for someone so undeserving as our esteemed Sentinel Prime.'

'S-Starscream, our comms could be monitored.' Thundercracker's hoarse voice picked up a nervous tone.

'Oh, yes, I'm sure they're monitoring all the seeker squadrons on this husk of a planet to make sure they're okay.' Starscream cooed sarcastically through his comm feed. 'Face it- we were dumped here to DIE- they've put collars on us that are so tight that we're starving- my wings are deteriorating!' He twitched them unconsciously to emphasize their condition.

'Scream.' Skywarp's voice picked up a higher tone as well, but unlike Thundercracker, he sounded gleefully excited. 'Are we going to finally go AWOL?'

'Yes...' Starscream replied, and winced at the sound of his two trinemates squawking at the same time through the comm feed. 'QUIET both of you. I have plans for this Energon, and they don't involve Sentinel Prime. There's only one mech we're giving this fuel to.

'Us?' Skywarp asked vapidly.

'Megatronus, fool.' Starscream replied to them, a smile creeping against his face. It was no secret that the gladiator was beginning to amass a following that would be hungry for rations that had been cut off by the Enforcers out of fear of an uprising. Such a gift would place him firmly on the warriors radar and award him a position in the upper ranks of the revolution.

He was no longer a puppet of the Cybertronian Elite. Starscream would always cut his strings- he was a seeker and they could only be contained by their own flight parameters.


WARRANT 02451:

Designation: Starscream (Alias; Starrisec, Nightscream)

Type/Class: Seeker/Command

Function: Energon Exploration and Analyst

Iacon, Senate Court for Major Crimes;

Enforcers Prowl and Red Alert do hereby swear that on the stellar date 009745, Energon Seeker Commander Starscream did willfully cause the death of Captain Powerglide and his crew (*see full list of deceased in addendum), stealing their energon refining shuttle and posing as the deceased in re-entry to Cybertron. The bodies of the deceased have not been located, however their spark signatures are no longer active in Teletrann-1's database, and as their Enforcer trackers were placed within the spark case, this is reason enough to assume deactivation. Besides the willful murder of Officers of Iacon, it is believed that Commander Starscream has stolen 4800 units of pure unrefined energon from the mining site that he lured Captain Powerglide's refining unit to.

Orders: Capture, do not kill.

Sentence: Upon capture, Starscream and his unit are sentenced to 50,000 vorns of spark separation and dismantling. Deactivate only under extreme circumstances.

Notes: Starscream travels with his trine, designations Thundercracker and Skywarp. See separate warrants attached. These seekers are military type level 03, they are considered armed and dangerous. Proceed with caution.

Signed,

Ultra Magnus,

Duly Appointed Enforcer of the Tyrest Accord.


Location: The Nemesis.

The path to the bridge was always well marked and Starscream could feel the choking presence of Megatron all around him. He arrived at the doors and was pinged in by Soundwave, who stood with his back to Starscream, occupied with trajectory routes and rationing inventories.

Megatron was at the end of the command center, standing at the edge and watching the open emptiness of space. Besides Soundwave, they were alone.

Starscream took a few hesitant steps, his thin pedes clicking on the metal floor. Megatron made a small motion that showed that he knew Starscream was there, he was merely waiting for the smaller mech to approach him. The flier straightened his back and walked towards the enormous warlord.

Even after all the vorns that Starscream had directly and indirectly reported to Megatron, the silver titan's moods were unpredictable and he needed all his powers of observation to judge them. That mercurial nature had served him well in the Pit and on the battlefield but as a leader it set his officers on edge and made the entire ship tense.

Don't let him actually care about Ramjet and hold his fried processor against me.

Starscream came within grabbing reach of his Lord, passing by Soundwave without knowing how to salute or address him.

'Master.'' he braced himself, claws twitching with nervous energy, 'You called for me?'

'Yes.' Megatron replied, finally acknowledging the seeker behind him. 'Starscream.'

He turned, his spiked shoulders as broad as Starscream's wingspan, red eyes narrowing to predatory slits.

'The data file Soundwave provided you with- I am curious about your thoughts.' He was studying the smaller flier intently, a look of amusement crossing his faceplates. 'Since it is now your responsibility.'

'Ah...' Starscream's wings reacted at the sight of the Decepticon Lord, stretching to match the warlord's girth. 'You mean the Repository? It has all the signs of a ruse- I will need to see more detailed layouts or have some surveillance done personally before I can tell you EXACTLY what you want to hear, however.'

'What do you think I want to hear?' Megatron's head cocked, his eyes narrowing.

Starscream couldn't contain some relief that this meeting was unrelated to his recent clash with Ramjet. It appeared he was in no trouble for defending himself- he knew Soundwave would have reported it and Megatron treated him no different. Perhaps he knew the leader's disposition better than he had hoped.

'That I will know how to keep the Iaconian rebels from blowing their relics and energon away before we can get our hands on them. That I will crush the Autobot elite and all those who harbor them and plunder this last safehold for you. That I shall restore our communications so that we can again reach Cybertron and begin our safe return.' He met those narrowed red eyes with his own, wings arched and spread.

'Ah, Starscream. The things you say.' Megatron stepped forward and Starscream carefully serpentined around his Lord as the titan moved to open the large data console at the end of the bridge. 'That IS what I want to hear, but words are meaningless without action. A nice bit of poetry and no substance.'

'Of course, Master. It is in my plans to take surveillance of the area- myself.'

'Alone?' Megatron glanced down at the smaller flier, and Starscream felt his body tucking in on itself a fraction. Even now, the mech intimidated him with a look and his mere physical presence.

'Ah.' He clicked his talons together. 'It would be best, for a single, swift unit to be the one to collect information- and since I am in charge of the operation, I am-'

'No.' Megatron cut him off. 'You and I will go together.'

He crowded in on Starscream, lowering his face to the flier. 'You will escort me to the perimeter and we will continue on foot. I want to see how Commander Starscream wears his new title.'

Starscream could only swallow and nod. 'Yes, of course, Master.' Commander, Commander, Commander!

This was really happening! Megatron was finally beginning to see Starscream's potential- it had only taken Shockwave's absence from the high-command to open up space for the seeker.

The titan strode past him, not turning to address Soundwave. 'Watch the bridge in my absence- Starscream and I will be departing from the rear hanger.'

The dark mech made no motion of acknowledgement, but Megatron walked from the command center without another word, leaving Starscream scurrying to catch up with his long strides.

The Decepticon Warlord made the hallways thunder with his heavy footsteps, and many of the surviving crew peered curiously at them from the medbay and cantina and domiciles, watching their Master and the sleek seeker behind him. Starscream was fanning his wings with no small amount of pride at walking so close to Megatron, almost at his SIDE and alone as well. He felt excitement coursing through his lines and apprehension.

Lord Megatron never went alone on missions with anyone but Soundwave.

When they reached the hangar, Vehicon drones carefully maneuvered the damaged doors open and Megatron transformed in powerful whirl of silver metal and a boom of his engines- assuming the Valkyrie-class flyer form that he had scanned later in the war. He soared out in open space and arced with crackling precision around to circle the Nemesis. Starscream watched him for a moment, his natural instincts taking a moment to appreciate how well a non-native airborne took to the sky and then ran off the hanger, opening his servos and transforming mid-air into his tetra-jet form. They met halfway around the ship and Starscream danced around the warlord, taking a natural position at his wing and feeling his programming sing to be near another flier again. They circled the ship once and then sped out, maneuvering with no small skill through the asteroid field between them and the small moon that the Iacon Repository was hidden on.

They both allowed their inertia to carry them, weaving in and out of the asteroids, both silver forms skilled and dancing back and forth, crossing paths and pulling away. Starscream felt that this was a test and that he was doing well when Megatron's EM field swelled and pulled at him when he came near. He responded and received neither acknowledgement or punishment.

They landed carefully outside of the projected Iacon surveillance area and both transformed. Starscream carefully allowed the sensornet in the alloy of his forearms and helm to heighten and begin their initial scans of the area, immediately feeling the pull of energon ahead. He took a few small steps forward, feeling Megatron's narrowed eyes studying him.

'Energon, my lord. The Iacon Repository must have a good deal for me to feel it from so far.'

Megatron said nothing, which unnerved Starscream and he hurried forward, walking in the direction of the Autobot base. He began to speak aloud, throwing out bits of thought in order to get a gauge on the eerily silent warlord.

'From my observation, there was little to no means for simple docking here, an aberration from the traditional plans. Which would mean that either the majority of its personnel are in stasis or that the majority have LEFT, likely in an effort to support the war.' Starscream turned back and scoffed. 'Which means this area could very well be abandoned but for a few drones.' He flexed his claws.

'I can't say for certain- but the rough images looked as though it was totally unarmed.'

'They will be no match for our forces- even in light of our recent lack of fuel.'

Megatron's scowled deep, sharp denta bared. Starscream shifted, realizing that Megatron was distracted by the view of the Repository towers ahead. His face seemed suddenly different- a mask of anger and hate- Starscream had seen it before, in the Gladiatorial arena. It was a sign that Megatron was preparing to do some great harm to those around him, closing himself off from empathy. He stepped out of the silver titan's way then, and allowed Megatron to seethe. Knowing the old mech, he was re-living a particularly gruesome memory from before on Cybertron.

'I have scoured the galaxy for eons in hope of finding this place.' his voice seemed softer than usual, hoarse when it wasn't used for roaring. 'You are correct- it is not ordinary outpost on the edge of existence. No.'

'Optimus Prime...' the growl that came out of Megatron sounded like a wounded mech, an anger so hot that it burned from the inside. 'I am sure that he hid Alpha Trion here.'

'You knew what this place was all along?' Starscream couldn't keep the annoyance from his tone. 'Why have you been subjecting me to all these useless tests then? I would have thought my service these past vorns was proof enough that I'm no fool.'

Megatron looked down at him sharply, jarred from his quiet rage.

'Because I wish to see how you function without a trine. You fliers are all different- Soundwave flourishes without being bonded to anyone-'

Ha! Starscream nearly burst out a laugh but kept it in. Any fool could see how Soundwave doted on his Lord.

'-while Ramjet' Starscream's good humor faded at the name '...languishes.'

'While this is hardly the place to discuss such things,' Starscream hissed, wings flaring with annoyance, 'I am capable of surviving without my wingmates and yes, its true, I was the brains behind our trine- that should hardly come as a surprise.'

The warlord's optics's flashed.

For a moment, Starscream was sure he would be struck by Megatron and he flinched. When he regained himself and looked up, the larger mech was smirking down at him. He leaned down to crowd the seeker. With his sensornet open, Starscream could feel the hot energon coursing through his Lord.

'Afraid that I will beat you into stasis, Starscream?' his vents ran hot and his massive claws gripped a wing, holding it firm but not bending it like Ramjet had.

'Yes..' he replied, feeling Megatron flex his wing slowly in his claws.

'You said that you know what I want to hear- so you surely know what I DON'T want to hear. And yet you say it anyway.'

Starscream shuttered his optics.

'Y-yes, I apologize, I was-'

The servo on his wing tightened and he squawked, stopping. Megatron was studying him, his attention focused and opaque. He couldn't read the warlord exactly, but he didn't seem angry.

For once in his life, Starscream was able to keep his mouth shut. It wasn't the time or the place, but there had never really been an appropriate point in the war for this strange moment.

Megatron held his wing, watching his potential Commander. His claws ran down the ridge of his wing, examining the appendage, before releasing him without a scratch. They separated and Starscream was waiting for the warlord to speak when they were interrupted by a flash of white and red in their peripheral vision.

It was Ramjet. Ramjet and a squad of Eradicons drones- flouting Megatron's orders and flying straight for the Iacon Repository!

'What is that fool DOING?!' Starscream shrieked. 'He'll alert the entire Autobot base!'

'No! How did he escape the Nemesis?' Megatron roared, his body seizing in rage, 'That worthless-Soundwave!'

Megatron transformed as he roared commands to his communications officer.

'Use the remaining energon to position the Nemesis as a barrier- we cannot allow anyone to escape! Ramjet is enroute to the Repository!'

Even from so far away, Starscream could hear Ramjet's unbalanced warcry. He started at his Master screaming away, intending to intercept and possibly kill the other seeker as defense drones began spilling from the Autobot base, engaging the airborne Decepticons in battle.

He should join his Master in battle. It was what any Commander would do, fly at his wing and protect him from harm. The air looked positively buzzing with laser fire, bouncing off of Megatron's sturdy armor. It would not do the same to him.

Starscream raced forwards on foot- despite his instincts to take flight, it seemed as though the defense grid was only reacting to Ramjet and his enraged master and the poor Eradicons following them. He ran along a ridge, feeding commands into a buzzing network of panicked Eradicon drones. They were untrained and relying on their most basic battle programming. Within moments, there were a dozen circling above him, drawing fire from hidden turrets on the ground. They scattered and dispersed, drawing attention with their agonized screams.

Starscream swiped at the first turrets he crossed, destroying them with his claws in easy succession, but he quickly tired of the task and took to running along the thin network, finding a hole in the defenses.

He wasn't a racer, but his long legs carried him quickly to a side entrance where he made short work of surveillance cameras and light turrets. The doors seemed sturdier though, and he hopped back several steps before straightening his arms and levelling the high-powered explosive missiles that he had long-ago mounted on his forearms. Megatron had the spark and the fusion reactor to power his cannon- but Starscream couldn't carry such things on his slender form, so portable tracking missles were the next best option. He released both at the reinforced door and it came clear off its hinges. Alerts were already sounding because of Ramjet and the now approaching Decepticon fleet.

He slunk into the emergency lit hallway and was greeted by mostly silence, save for the sounds of explosions from outside. He adjusted his optics quickly to the dark and hunched down to protect his abdomen, creeping along the narrow route silently, watching for more defence turrets.

There were none. And whoever occupied this outpost wasn't a warbuild- the hallway came close to scraping Starscream's head and his wings had to bend back and downward to fit into the tight area. Two-wheelers and the smaller racer builds were the only ones who would fit comfortably through these areas- Megatron and Ramjet would be completely hindered by their mass. But Starscream was slender and flexible, and on all fours with his claws clicking on the metal floor, he slid along the winding corridor, smirking at the clever but inevitably futile attempt by the Autobots to foil their more often larger counterparts.

The hallway must have been a repair entrance, because it was sparsely guarded and led directly to an atrium that was silent, lit by the swirling green of an active bridge, a large form standing before it.

An active bridge! The Autobots were secreting away all of their relics and records right under Megatron's nose. Starscream silently pulled from the corridor, aware of three Autobots below. Two were of racer build, looking desperately at the green gateway as a much taller, sturdily built Autobot between them spoke calmly.

'That is the last of them then- now all that is left to do is send out the final key.'

Starscream recognized the voice from news feeds lifetimes ago. Once, he had respected Alpha Trion and his work as much as every Cybertronian. Now, he was more aware, he had seen the philosophies of the ancient mech used to pacify the masses and keep them in their place- and the great relics that the supposed wise elder had archived kept from their true purpose of relieving the great burden of suffering.

The ancient one was very tall, and covered in flowing robes. He was leaning forward to ease the fears of the smaller white and blue racer beside him, guiding it to the door behind the open bridge.

'What about you, Alpha? You have to get out of here! If they take you prisoner-'

'Now now, Smokescreen.' Alpha Trion was opening the door at the back of the atrium, his large servo on the much smaller racer. 'I will not allow that to pass. Come, there is one last thing I must do.'

'Moonracer,' he called back. 'I leave the rest to you.'

The lone racer left in the atrium saluted, and began to input an override sequence into the bridge- obviously intending on making it backlash and self-destruct.

Scrap! Starscream swore to himself, crawling along the upper awning. He had to keep that bridge structurally intact.

He was preparing to pounce, not sure how capable this green racer was in combat, but using the advantage of surprise- when the main doors to the atrium suddenly reverberated and bent inwards. Another loud boom echoed in the chamber, and boxes of supplies began to topple. It was Lord Megatron- he had already broken through the parameter. Starscream began to straighten when a familiar white conehead blasted through the main walls.

Ramjet's eyes were crazed as he blocked the panicked firing from the racer. He pulled through the torn entrance- covered in scorch wounds from laser fire- one of his wings missing entirely and his mouth foaming from the onset of energon-deprivation. He let out a roar of pain as one of the racer's shots caught him right below his optic, shattering the lens and spurting blue energon across the floor.

'You fragging service drone-' his strangled cry was the only signal to his charge as he lept at the racer who deftly stepped out of the way.

Starscream could see now that the green Autobot was a femme, and very well trained in hand-to-hand combat. A seasoned guard staking everything in protecting the increasingly unstable bridge. She would fight off as long as possible until the explosion took out the entire atrium.

Without an optic and dropping further into an instinctual madness, Ramjet was heaving and snarling energon all over the floor as he swiped and batted at the Autobot guard. She quickly disarmed his last working blaster and was swiping at his armored legs, going for the cables that would cripple him.

He was stubbornly snarling and chasing her at a slow gait- a massive predator weakening before a cunning one. Starscream prowled above them, tracking their progress and waiting for the right moment to strike. Ramjet over-extended and stumbled, a moan of pain slipping from his lips, followed by a scream as the Autobot struck, slicing the cables to his thrusters and leg- another spurt of energon jetting over the atrium floor and the heavy jet fell, writhing but now unable to get up.

'Kill you-kill you- kill youuuuuuuuuuu-' he snarled and bit at the open air. The Autobot femme stepped back, levelling her blaster.

'Till all are one, 'Con.' she spoke in a dark, even tone. As she prepared to knock Ramjet offline, Starscream saw his opening.

His claws were harder than her armor- she only had a moment to see his shadow and feel the pain of being penetrated by the talon blades. She let out a small, soft sound and he felt her spark around his digits, throbbing then fading- the light going out of her eyes. She went limp on his long claws and he wiggled them to ensure her demise before pulling them out. She fell to the ground in a lifeless heap, another 'Bot for the scrapyard. Starscream ignored Ramjet and ran to the bridge- which was close to the point of no return, green lightning arcing upwards in a cascade of energy. Starscream had no doubt that the override codes would be impossible to crack in the time he had, but he hadn't spent most of his life as an explorer and engineer for nothing. The energy grid for a bridge was no different for either side- and he was at the hard-wired terminal- switching and rerouting sub-routines and energy paths, flushing the excess into the control grid- causing the panel to explode in quick succession. Without the codes to control the bridge, it fell into its hardcoded programming and shut down- the swirling green portal closing.

It wasn't good- but given the circumstances it was better than a blown up repository. At least now there was a chance of using the console and tracking the previous launches.

Starscream knew that alone wouldn't satisfy Megatron, and he turned to face the helpless jet sprawled out on the floor.

Ramjet was looking at him with his remaining pained optic, leaking his remaining energon everywhere.

'You...came for...me?' he sputtered.

'You've let energon loss damage your processor, Ramjet.' Starscream replied, kicking the Autobot guard's frame to the side and stalking towards the larger jet.

'You defied Megatron and his orders.' he hunched forward, gauging Ramjet's remaining strength with practiced optics.

'Was...going to bring...energon...as...penance.' Ramjet rolled slightly to focus on Starscream. He was reaching for his thin pedes, large clawed hand scraping on the ground.

Starscream stepped around it, circling.

'You're incredible.' he laughed at the cone-headed jet, 'You know very well that the energon would be obtained with or without you- you simply couldn't stand the idea that Megatron has lost interest in your stubborn, hardheaded ways.'

He circled in closer, tracking how slowly Ramjet reacted to his movements.

'You have no trine anymore to cover you and you've allowed yourself to be beaten by a simple Autobot guard. Your tactics only work when you command a large metal shield made from the backs of your comrades.'

Starscream closed in then, listening to Ramjet's small protesting wheezes, kicking the jet hard and rolling him onto his back. The heavy flier wailed in pain and lashed out randomly but fell back almost instantly from exhaustion. His remaining optic focused on Starscream for the first time with something resembling terror and disbelief.

'D-don't, Starscream- don't, I will serve you- I will obey, I-I-I It was the Trine madness, I-please!'

Starscream's stained talons lifted to kill for a second time a very short span.

'Don't! Please!'

Again, the claws tore through through armoring- Ramjet was much more heavy-duty than the Autobot, so Starscream had to hold the massive flier down by settling on him and jabbing several times, using the sharp tips to tear deep into his armored cockpit. The wounded flier tried to buck Starscream, but even though he was smaller, he could easily pin him in this weakened state. Energon spurted from the pumps around his spark casing, and Ramjet let out one last whimper of fear and pain before Starscream leaned in, basked in the sensation of such power over a mightier foe and then lanced through the delicate spark casing with his fingertips.

Ramjet shuddered, then fell still- his frame cooling as the spark plasma sputtered out and coated Starscream's fingertips.

The small, sleek flier sighed, resting on the graying form for a moment, before rising at the sounds of more explosions from the torn doorway. Megatron would come soon- and he would not be pleased by the loss of the bridge.

And Alpha Trion. Starscream turned and jogged lightly to the doorway that the huge mech had gone through. Whatever the elder was doing in there- it couldn't be something Megatron would like either. He tried to comm his Master, meeting with scrambling from the defense system from within the Repository.

As if summoning him through thought alone, an enraged and fearsome form blocked out the hole that Ramjet had punched through the main doorway, and Starscream had to catch himself as a powerful blast launched the remaining doors off. Megatron strode in, his front splattered with Energon- a swarm of Eradicons following him- spreading out. His eyes quickly took in the dead guard, the powered off bridge, and the mangled form of Ramjet. He looked curiously at that for a few moments, before catching Starscream's small motions in the corner of the atrium.

His eyebrows raised in surprise as he took in Starscream's similarly energon-coated form, a small grin forming as he strode forward.

'Search for any Autobot survivors!' he roared at the Eradicons that were gawking, pointing at the other small repair hallways in the upper levels. Starscream called out to Megatron, rushing to meet him.

'My lord-' he called out, 'Alpha Trion is here!' before he could point to the doorway, he was met with a sharp cuff to his head that sent his processor reeling.

'Starscream!' Megatron barked angrily, 'You DARED to run off without my consent- without any indication of your intentions!'

The flier shook his head in an effort to clear the static in it from such a powerful blow. He tasted some Energon and felt a small dribble escape from his lips.

'I-Forgive me my Lord. I saw an opportunity and I struck before notifying you.' He gripped his aching processor and rubbed it.

Megatron grabbed his wing, his claws less careful this time- the large mech was hardwired for battle now, eyes wide.

'Did you say Alpha Trion?'

'Yes!' Starscream nearly howled, still in pain and eager to focus Megatron's attention's somewhere else. 'He's locked himself and a guard inside to finish some sort of procedure.'

It was as effective as if Optimus Prime himself had stepped into the room. Starscream's wing was released and Megatron was roaring orders again, his claws furiously scraping at the door and walls, before the hum of a fusion-powered blast filled the room. One charged hit was all it took- and the wall caved and the great snarling titan strode through.

Curiosity kept him from staying back, and Starscream krept behind the Eradicons to see Megatron beating the revered Alpha Trion badly- his massive fists ripping off those robes that only the Elite had ever been allowed to wear- tearing into metal and laughing cruelly.

'Get up, relic.' Megatron's growls made the Eradicon's around him step back, giving the two room.

The old mech's intakes struggled with the damage delt so quickly- obviously not accustomed to combat. His eyes, despite Megatron's taunts, were focussed on the offline frame of the white racer he had left with earlier.

The Decepticon Lord did not take to being ignored well and he gripped Alpha Trion's head in his servo, lifting him by it.

'I am going to throw your head at Prime's feet, so that I can see the look of hopeless despair at the sight of your defiled body.' his words were spat with hatred and Alpha turned his soft blue eyes upwards, regarding Megatron sadly.

'No pain you inflict upon me will be greater than the blow you rendered when you took your first steps towards this bloody path, Megatronus.' He offered no resistance to Megatron's grip, and submissively allowed himself to be raised up, until he was dangling in the warlords servo. 'Optimus Prime will always have hope, even in the darkest hour, not only for the future of Cybertron, but also for your spark.'

'I would have thought' Megatron barked out a short laugh, 'That a supposed elder such as yourself would have better prepared words for his last moments. You sound like every other brainwashed Enforcer I've crushed.'

Alpha Trion reached up feebly to touch the servo that was gripping his processor.

'I speak only the truth as I see it in my own spark, Megatronus.' he wheezed, vents hitching. 'Orion Pax still loves what you once were, and I know that you are suffering from your choices.'

Megatron threw Alpha Trion as if he burned to touch, the ancient mech bounced off the far wall and struggled to gain his balance.

'I will watch Cybertron BURN before I allow Optimus Prime, the Senate pleasure-bot to take control.' Megatron advanced, unsheathing the built in sword he kept for close combat situations.

'It...has burned.' The old mech stood slowly. 'And once you and Optimus are the last Cybertronian's left- once you slay him to sate your anger, then will you be satisfied? Then will you know compromise?'

Then, with a regalness that had been hidden before under his feeble venting and gentle eyes, Alpha Trion squared his shoulders and touched his chest. 'I will pray for you, in the All-Spark, Megatronus. That you will know peace before your offlining.'

Megatron closed in the space between them slowly, savoring Alpha Trion's last moments. He was so focused on his face, that he didn't notice the glowing behind his servo on his chest.

Starscream had watched silently as the two had conversed, but he could see the wavering growth of energy- had even partially expected a mech of Alpha Trion's caliber to carry it. A spark extractor.

'MEGATRON!' he screamed in panic, 'RUN- HE'S-'

Out of pure instinct, Starscream transformed and bolted for the doorway, pushing his fleet engine as hard as he could, panic arching through his spark as it rattled in it's case out of fear. On his heels, he could feel the confused transforming of the panicked Eradicons, and the scream of Megatron's Valkyrie form.

A wave of energy passed over them and Starscream let out a terrified whimper- feeling his spark whirring in panic as his joints locked, the corridor colliding with his frame in a painful crunch.

The fear kept him flying, even after a part of his wing was sheared from his form, and he escaped from the Iacon outpost with a terrified shriek unaware if his Lord was behind him.

oooooooo

End of Chapter 2

Continued A/N:

Thank you everyone for continuing to read and review my work. As I said in the earlier chapter- I'm a total amateur, so feedback is very appreciated and helps me refine my work. I really want to play with the characters and keep them accurate, but also dig a little deeper. If I haven't responded to your review- its because you don't have an account on FFN, but please know that I appreciate all the time you've taken to write one and that I hope you continue to read!

Thanks Again,

Econtra