Life: Interrupted.
Chapter One.
Warm. Comfortable. These were the first sensations the new cassette recalled. It had no concept of time, of how long it was in this state, it only had an awareness that it was. When that situation changed, when it felt another take a gentle but firm hold of it, felt itself moving, felt the warmth chilling and felt itself made to change form, it opened its optics.
It could make out nothing more than a fuzzy blur, which sharpened into an angular shape with silver, two points of red immediately capturing the small one's attention. It could hear a low murmur, then felt something connect into the back of its neck, and then suddenly, it had some awareness, of identity, of language.
"You,-Starscream," the low but harmonic voice was saying. "This-one,- Soundwave." A hand was raised to the other's chest. "Starscream-obey-Soundwave. Soundwave-protect-Starscream." The cassette squeaked, it-he?- could see no problems with this. The other – Soundwave, he recalled – nodded. "Starscream-needs-to-fly. Starscream-will-learn."
Flying. He had no knowledge of the concept, but he did have a feeling that it was something good, something nice, so he squeaked happily at the pronouncement. He flexed the little metal wings that he only then realised he possessed, and gave a coo of contentment. He tried to get to his feet, but he was unused to the appendages, and flapped about on them awkwardly before falling down on his back. The cable disconnected from the port in his neck, dislodged by the fall.
He wriggled and struggled to get back upright, squawking in distress, then felt gentle hands pick him up and set him down the right way. The cable was re-inserted into his data port, and the mechanics of walking on the legs flooded into his processors.
"Wait," he was instructed. "Soundwave-will-help-Starscream-learn-walking."
One hand slipped under his body and the other rested on his back between his wings, and Starscream felt himself lifted so that the feet rested, toes splayed on the surface, but none of his weight was on them. "Move-them-as-information-shows," Soundwave commanded.
Obeying, Starscream got used to the feeling of placing the feet, digits spread, on the floor, one after the other, without having to bear his own weight. When Soundwave thought he had the mechanics right, he gave him warning, and began to let Starscream take a little of his own weight. As Starscream got used to this, and more confident, Soundwave let him take more and more of his own weight, until Soundwave's hands were only there to catch him if he slipped. Soundwave carefully withdrew the hands after a while, as Starscream sped up his pace, racing around the little table swiftly.
He was so excited that at one point he saw the edge of the table a little too late. He backpedalled but his momentum took him over the edge and he went over with a frightened squawk. He had fallen no more than a few feet when he was caught by those same big hands, who set him back on the table. "Learn-to-fly-later," Soundwave said, and the little Cassette heard what he guessed was amusement in the big grounder's voice. "Suggest-Starscream-recharge-now."
Starscream didn't feel like recharging and opened his beak to say so, but before he could, Soundwave picked him up and firmly folded him up. This form triggered recharge, and Starscream's processors went into a recharge loop.
Soundwave did not immediately put Starscream away in his chest, but held him close to his chest and sat down, his mind already going through Starscream's memories, setting aside what was damaged for later, deeper work, and picking through what was left to see what there was.
It was true, he reflected, that the Seeker had been a thorn in his side at times, particularly with the issue of leadership, but it was also true that Soundwave did not particularly relish leadership. He had his own plans, his own ideas, that was true, but leadership took for too much time and effort, time and effort Soundwave would prefer to spend on those same plans and ideas.
Soundwave preferred to be led rather than followed, but he needed a leader who was stable, who would not be asking for assistance or taking too much of Soundwave's valuable time. He could have let Starscream die, but that would have affected the other two members of his trine, who made up the body of the Decepticon's aerial forces. He was well aware that the Decepticons had an edge over the Autobots because the Autobots had no fliers amongst their number, and that edge he was not willing to relinquish. So, to save their fliers he had to save their trine head, odious as the Seeker was.
However, now he had possession of the Spark and the memories of Starscream, so perhaps he could somehow turn this to his advantage. At the moment, Starscream was as a sparkling, dependant, curious, and perhaps malleable. He despised the brutal reprogramming that had been used during the earlier years of the war, and knew such crude techniques would not be needed here. He stroked the little Cassette's back, the purr of a thrumming engine, active on a low-level even in recharge, answering his caress.
Such blank-slate personalities, he reflected, could be influenced in ways that the most judicious and thorough reprogramming could not come close to matching. If he reared Starscream well, even once the Seeker's own memories were returned, it might, in the long-run be of benefit. He though he recalled hearing that Starscream had been involved in an accident that had claimed the Sparks of his Creators and had necessitated his transfer into an adult body. He had missed out on vorns of Creator-care. Perhaps Soundwave could step into that role, until he returned Starscream's memories to him.
Of course, the difference would be that he would still be there after that event, might still be seen, due to being a Cassette for some time, as a Creator-figure, regarded as a source of comfort by the Seeker, rather than an irritant. Maybe he'd even be seen by the new Decepticon Leader as a source of guidance, a situation Soundwave would use to his advantage.
Putting Starscream away in his chest, he reflected on another way that he was different to the Seeker: he had patience. To be seen as a Creator-figure in a way that would last once the Seeker had recovered would take time and effort, which, along with patience, Soundwave was willing to provide.
He stood, and moved through to the main control room. He was not surprised to find Starscream's wing brothers waiting for him. They looked briefly at each other, and then Thundercracker, the oldest, thus the more senior of the two, stepped forwards.
"Soundwave, with all due respect, we must remind you that Starscream is a Seeker, and as such-" Soundwave cut off Thundercracker mid-sentence.
"Starscream-requires-flight-to-function," he stated. "Thundercracker-and-Skywarp-will-teach-Starscream-how-to-fly. Soundwave-will-call-tomorrow." Thundercracker nodded in relief and stepped back.
As Soundwave moved through to check on any observations, he reflected that this two-pronged attack on the Trine could be most effective if carried out meticulously. It would do the Trine no harm to allow them to know that he was aware of Seeker needs, and would place them before many other considerations, but if he were also to gain Starscream's trust, it would only reinforce the Trine's confidence in Soundwave. This could only lead to a harmonious Trine, and in such situations, harmony was always more desirable.
Content now that he had devised a plan, he ordered discreet surveillance of the Autobot Base, and got down to the business of leading. Onerous although the duty was, Starscream's transition back, when it came, would be easier if everything was up to date.