Seekers In Training.
Chapter One.
Once they had all been settled with energon in seats in one of the smaller rooms, Starscream got quickly and eloquently to the point, detailing as much as he could recall about his decision to destroy himself, and how he had at first planned to take Sam, and maybe Bumblebee, with him. He told them how he had attacked the Autobot scout, and taken Sam into his hand, and about the decision he had taken to make Bumblebee his memory-keeper, how he had chosen to leave Sam alive for some other Decepticon to destroy.
Optimus asked for a few more details, and then allowed Starscream to continue his account. He listened with no interruptions, even when Starscream described the blue light that had spread from Sam to himself, and then to Bumblebee. Starscream tried to explain to Optimus and Ratchet, even though words were an inefficient, insufficient, and clumsy medium for the purpose, how his first awareness that anything had changed about the human and the Autobot was the sensation of their minds, first tentatively reaching out, and then with his encouragement, bonding and linking with his own. So, he explained, when he had opened his optics to see the two re-made as Seekers, he was not completely surprised.
"The two Seekers in the med bay are Sam and Bumblebee?" Optimus asked for clarification."
"Didn't I just say so?" asked Starscream. Ratchet gave him a look while dilating and contracting his optic shutters that was the Cybertronian equivalent of rolling his eyes.
"Yes, you did, but Optimus was just confirming by simplifying the convoluted tale you told and posing the pertinent parts as a question just to be sure we had not misunderstood. After all, it is an unusual story," Ratchet said.
"Unusual, true, but it is also a true tale," Starscream said. "The pertinent point here is that there are now two new Seekers, one of whom started out as an Autobot, and the other who was an Autobot supporter, so is also likely to wish to become an Autobot. As I am supposed to be the leader of the Decepticons, and they are now my wing brothers, this puts me and them in an awkward situation."
"Indeed," Optimus said. "The information we have gathered, however, suggests that currently Barricade has chosen to leave you, current plans unknown, and that you are otherwise alone until and unless other Decepticons make planetfall and, if they choose to, join you."
"Although they could as easily join Barricade, or choose a different leader from amongst their own numbers," Ratchet pointed out, "which could leave you facing both us, and another Decepticon faction. Plus, you should take into the equation your two Autobot wing brothers, as they could be a deterrent to other Deceptions joining with you."
"Yes, I see how that could be a problem," Starscream said "but if Sam still possesses and finds he can use the power of the AllSpark, that may be enough of an encouragement that other Decepticons may join me."
"What if Sam can't use the power?" asks Ratchet "or if changing him used up its energy? Or what if Sam refuses to use it for certain purposes he disagrees with, or at all? That could completely mess up your plans, or even put you, him, or all three of you, in danger."
Starscream supressed a small shudder, he never wanted to feel either of his wing brothers die like that again. "Well, what do you suggest?" he asked. "To become one of you, I suppose, to become an Autobot, like you?"
"That is one option," Optimus agreed "or you could ally your Decepticon faction with us, still keep your Decepticon identity and still operate as a separate group, but be at treaty with us and the humans."
"Yes, that might be a better option, at that," Starscream said, grasping at the most agreeable possibility of those suggested, for the problems and possible snags Ratchet had pointed out were definite possibilities, and he suspected that for every one they thought of, there would be at least one problem, or one variant of any of those suggested, that had either not been thought of or perhaps just not voiced.
"Whatever you do, I think it will take some discussion," Ratchet pointed out "because whatever you decide, you will need some sort of agreement that your wing brothers will also agree with."
"Yes, yes," Starscream said, "of course, we must all agree." He didn't foresee much trouble ahead. As the dominant wing-brother, Thundercracker and Skywarp had usually followed along with most of his suggestions in the past. Surely, it would not be too difficult for Sam and Bumblebee to see his point of view, and for them to come to an agreement.
Ratchet took the Seeker back through to the med bay and gave him some fuel. "You might want to take a flight, unless you have anyone else you want to see. Sam and Bumblebee will need another joor at least in recharge, or you and I could sit and drink and talk."
"I'll fly first, I think," Starscream said, the opportunity of a long flight as he had a full tank too tempting to resist. Of course, it wouldn't be as much fun as when he flew with TC and 'Warp, when they flew in formation, or raced, or tried to outdo each other with greater and greater feats of aerobatics, but it would, he hoped, be the last time he would need to fly alone. He smiled as he set out, and gave Cliffjumper on the gate a cheery wave.
The young red mech regarded the Seeker suspiciously, scowling at him, and looked about to challenge him when his optics flashed, signifying he had received a com. Cliffjumper looked so surprised at whatever it contained that Starscream had to stifle a laugh, but the red mech nodded and called over "Force-field's down, as Ratchet ordered for you." Starscream noted, however, that Cliffjumper neither untensed nor smiled, and guessed the small red grounder probably still did not trust him. Could a truce or treaty be achieved if attitudes like Cliffjumper's were prevalent amongst the other 'bots, he wondered as he pushed off the ground and headed up into the sky. As he felt the familiar caress of the air on his wings, he relaxed himself, and allowed the question to slip from his mind, concentrating instead on the true freedom and ultimate pleasure of flight.
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"I think it's time to wake Sam and Bumblebee now," Ratchet said, standing to move over to the recharge chambers, Starscream following in his wake. He did not argue with Ratchet, in fact through the trine-bond he could feel the pair were ready to come out of recharge. He quietly admitted that Ratchet had a good instinct for knowing the needs of his patients, and even seemed to know something about the needs of Seekers, unusual enough in a grounder medic.
Ratchet made sure the dials were set for awakening, and was there to help Bumblebee sit up while Starscream cooed at the pair and gave them light touches over the chest and wings before helping Sam to sit up too.
Bumblebee's optics opened and shut quickly in succession a few times before opening properly, as Sam raised his hand to his helm in a very human gesture and made an almost-human sounding groan before his own optics opened. His jerk backwards at finding Starscream's faceplates a few inches from his own was aborted as Starscream sent feelings of reassurance down the trine-bond.
"I've explained the situation to Optimus and Ratchet, they know who you are, and we had a bit of a discussion while you were recharging about what we're going to do next. Optimus actually said we could still be Decepticons, just affiliated with the Autobots, which I think is a good idea," Starscream explained.
There was a silence as neither Starscream nor anybody else spoke, but Starscream could feel both his wing brothers' opinions of this through the trine-bond, and realised that more discussion would be needed, even before Sam said "You expect me and 'Bee to become Decepticons on your say-so? Bee's an Autobot already and I'm still an Autobot supporter, as far as I'm concerned. I think we need to talk."
"Now, wait a minute, I think I deserve a say-so too," Starscream said sulkily.
"Well, yes, of course you do," Bumblebee said in response, his words sounding thick and slightly slurred as he got used to his new mouth, "but we too deserve a say. Therefore I think Sam is right, and we need to talk about it. A copy of the memories of the conversation would help. For now, can I just suggest we temporarily take neutral status until we arrive at some consensus?" He looked here not at Starscream, but first at Optimus and then at Ratchet, who obligingly commed the yellow Seeker the information. Bumblebee then sent Sam the information from the two Autobots, and in the face of this example, Starscream resentfully sent his own memories for comparison. Ironhide must have been passing by and heard voices, for he entered and listened as Starscream began speaking again.
"That's another thing," the Seeker said. "Earlier today, one of your mechs showed his suspicion of us. I understand that it may take time for old hatreds to ease, but I need to know if the distrust among your mechs is down to me being a Decepticon, or whether it is because I'm a Seeker."
"The Seeker-Grounder Conflicts ended on Cybertron eons ago," the Autobot weapons specialist chipped in. "Why would they be revived years later and light-years from home?"
"Actually, they were mostly over, but examples of hatred and persecution of Seekers by grounders continued into the war, perhaps unreported or not recognised for what they were amongst the conflicts before the war. There are several stories in existence that suggest that many Seekers joined the Decepticons because they were led by a flyer who had a Seeker Air Commander," Ratchet interjected, looking at Starscream as he spoke. "There are also those that suggest that Megatron made you, Starscream, his Air Commander, for that reason, in hope of gaining Seeker support in the war."
"I didn't realise," both the Seeker and the weapons specialist said together, both then looking at each other in surprise.
"So, Seeker hatred might still be an issue?" Optimus said.
"I think it unlikely that any of those currently with us have problems with people for being Seekers," Ratchet said "but I shall carry out discreet investigations on all of them within the next orn."
"How do you propose to go about that, Ratchet?" asked Starscream sceptically. "You can't exactly ask them straight out, they'll deny it even if they are anti-Seeker, they won't say they are!"
"I did say discreetly," Ratchet said. "I trust everybody currently here to be free of prejudice, most I've known long enough after all, so I'll tell you. I am the brewer of energon in our Base, and if I invite people to test my latest batch, including my high-grade, you might be surprised at how forthcoming people can be without realising it."
Sam, who had seen how garrulous some of his Dad's tightest-lipped friends could become when under the influence of a few beers, and had just been told by 'Bee by com that high-grade energon was the Cybertronian equivalent of alcohol, nodded in agreement as he turned to Starscream, to ask what he thought.
"Yes," Starscream said, looking thoughtful, an emotion that reached both Sam and Bumblebee through the trine-bond. "That should be an appropriate enough method, you're almost devious enough to be a Decepticon."
"I could take offence at that," Ratchet said "but knowing how your mind works, I'll take it as a compliment,"
"Which is the spirit in which it was given," Starscream said, his smug smile echoing the satisfied feeling Sam and Bumblebee could feel via the trine bond. "I just have one question for you Ratchet," he said.
"And what would that be?" Ratchet asked.
"Is there any chance," the Seeker asked plaintively, "that we might be able to sample any of that high-grade ourselves?"