Chapter 2.

In Loving Memory

"Decepticons, it is with great sorrow that I note for the log, Megatron's Spark has been extinguished. ALL HAIL STARSCREAM!"

Starscream was on a full High. He felt like nothing could ever bring him down. Was it wrong of him to abandon his master?

Probably.

However, it had been completely Justified. Had the Nemesis gone any closer to the exploding space bridge, all of the Decepticons would surely have been decimated. Starscream figured he could use this to his political advantage. After all, he was Megatron's true heir, right?

Appearently not.

When he tried to take command for himself, it was Dreadwing who reminded him of his place.

"Starscream," Dreadwing said. "You know perfectly well as I do that there is someone far more deserving of the title of leader of Decepticons than you."

"Oh?" Starscream asked. "Who exactly would that be? You?"

"No." Dreadwing said. "I I'm referring to the one who has earned her place by right of birth."

It was then that Soundwave appeared, showing a picture of the young sparkling of Megatron.

"Her?" Starscream exasperatedly questioned. "She is but a mere half human. Plus, she is a very tender age. She cannot handle the great responsibilities that come with being in charge of the entire Decepticon Fleet. Only someone such as myself who is trained in military operations can guide the Decepticons to Victory."

"Whether we agree with this decision or not," Dreadwing said. "We must stand by our Master's final documented wishes, which state that the Young Rowan is to take charge of the Decepticons in the event that he is terminated."

"And who will train the little thing to handle such responsibilities?" Starscream asked.

"I believe that due to my own personal experience and loyalty, I should be the one to train the young heiress." Dreadwing said.

"I was Megatron's first lieutenant!" Starscream said, throwing his arms in the air. "I should be the one to train her."

"Your questionable loyalty would only cause her Spark more distressed than it has already been put through." Dreadwing said. "In fact, I believe anyone visiting the little one right now would be far too much. You must remember Starscream, that she has just lost her sire. He was the only Creator she had left. She requires time to grieve. In that time, seeing as you were Megatron's first lieutenant, command of the Decepticons will fall to you for one Earth week. After that, I will begin Rowan's training and when I believe she is sufficient enough, she will be rightfully inaugurated the true leader of the Decepticons in a propper ceremony. In the meantime, we must get to work planning ways to finish the Autobots in memory of our former master, and we must also make preparations for his memorial ceremony: including the retrieval of his body."

Dreadwing had an air of finality to his voice, and it was with this, that Starscream dismissed himself. Dreadwing may have hed his own plan of how he wanted things done, but even he could not slip away from the fact that Starscream was Megatron's first lieutenant and he was known for coming up with his own plans. The plan he was formulating currently, was one that he hoped would work. He entered into the med-bay, hoping to vent his frustration to someone who he sort of considered a friend.

...

Knockout listened somewhat irritatedly while he was preparing the energon IV that he would be giving to Rowan today, as Starscream spoke his plan.

"I do not care that no one except you and Megatron are allowed in her quarters." Starscream said. "I was Megatron's first lieutenant, and in his absence, I take his place in all endeavors. The sparkling is too young to lead the Decepticons, and she is also too inexperienced. I intend to make this very clear to her. Hopefully, she will see reason, and convince Dreadwing that I am worthy of the position."

Ķnockout sighed, "Starscream, if you insist on doing this, you will need to let me go with you. I know Rowan a lot better than you do. She is actually a lot more different than you would think the sparkling of Lord Megatron would be."

"Oh?" Starscream asked.

"Yes." Knockout said. "She is surprisingly very kind. She is quite timid and soft-spoken. She has a curiosity about everything, but she also knows that she is safer as she is than anywhere else. She is an extremely loyal Decepticon. With the fact that her sire wqs the only Creator she had left, she has never said a single negative word about him. She is very naive, and a lot of things that you have said would be a problem if she ruled the Decepticons are not entirely wrong. Megatron may have loved her unconditionally, but he protected her to a fault. I only suggest that I come with you, becauee Rowan is actually quite shy, and she will do better if someone who she knows very well introduces you to her."

Starscream nodded, and once Knockout finished getting the energon IV prepared, they went to see Rowan.

...

Rowan was torn apart. She could do nothing but cry. Speaking was not an option for her anymore. She tried desperately to reach out through the sire bond to find any traces of her sire's spark signature or anything, but she always came up cold, empty, and alone.

She was sad and angry at the same time. Now the only Creator she had left, one who she had loved with all her Spark, was gone, and it was all her fault. If she had not told the Autobot humans about her sire's plan, they would not have been able to find the space bridge and her sire would still be with her. She knew in the deepest darkest recesses of herself that it was not her fault, but how could she not blame herself when it was clearly all her fault.

She was so in her sorrow, that she was just sitting in her chair, staring at the view screen that showed the Heap of rubble that was once her sire's space bridge, desperately attempting to search for him within the rubble, and getting blocked by the tears that would not stop coming to her eyes. It was for this reason, that she did not notice the door to her quarters open, or hear the sound of someone putting on a mass shifter, until she felt a gentle Servo touch her shoulder.

"Hi Rowan." The Familiar voice of the good doctor said. "How are you holding up?" Rowan said nothing, as she could only cry. "I know Ro. It's hard losing someone you're so close to. In any case, it's time for your energon IV. Can you turn around for me?"

Rowan only slightly turned her chair, so that she could sort of look at the doctor, but she could not face the rest of the room or the ship.

Not yet.

She only wanted to just keep looking at that computer screen in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, her sire would come flying out of the rubble. Knockout new this feeling all too well.

Many moons ago, he and his partner Breakdown once had a sparkling. His name was Wildbreak. He had been sent on a mission by Megatron: his first one actually. It should have been simple enough. All that was needed was just some security detail on an energon mine. However, Autobot forces invaded, and it was soon discovered that poor Wildbreak, a young sparkling of only 13 years, was no more. Knockout and Breakdown grieved four eons over there young sparkling, so knock out knew exactly what it was to lose a family member, and it was thus that he harbored an extreme sympathy for the little Decepticon princess.

"Alright Ro," Knockout said. "It's the usual procedure."

Rowan used shaky hands to pull up her sleeve to her left shoulder, where a USB looking device was mounted. Knockout inserted a USB cord, which on one end would attach to the device on Rowan's showlder, and on the other end went into an energon Cube. It began doing a trickle feed into Rowan, and her strength begin to increase: only physically not emotionally. She heard someone clear their throat, and look to the good doctor for explanation.

"Right." Knockout said, turning to someone unseen. "Rowan, this is Starscream. He was your sire's first lieutenant. He has come to pay his respects, and offer his condolences."

It was then that the little princess turned, and for the first time, she faced another Decepticon.

...

Starscream was surprised to say the least. He knew that the little human heiress would be weak, but he was not expecting her to appear so fragile. Even in grief, he never expected someone to look so small and helpless. When he first set eyes on the little heiress, all he could see was the back of her, which reminded him much of how Megatron would usually keep his back turned to his subordinates as they addressed him. He could hear the ever so quiet sobs coming from her, and his spark broke for her.

He was also surprised at how gentle knockout was with her. He spoke ever so kindly, softly, and reassuringly to the little one that he almost thought that this was not the same doctor he had just been talking to in the hallway. He supposed this was because knockout knew her so well. When he heard himself being introduced, He rose his helm and addressed the youngling directly.

"You must be young Rowan." Starscream said in that impossibly irresistible sultry voice of his. "I have heard very much about you. Indeed your sire was lucky to have a sparkling so loyal as yourself. I must say I'm quite surprised he never introduced us. As knockout stated, I am Commander Starscream. Well, now I'm actually Lord Starscream. However, we seem to have a problem. You see, the leadership of the Decepticons, by Birthright, rightfully falls to you. However, I myself can clearly see that you are too young and inexperienced for such a big task. I can train you to be the leader that you are destined to be, but in the meantime, I require your assistance in convincing the crew that I am the one fit to lead the Decepticons now. I understand that this may be difficult for you, given the fact you have only just lost your sire. However, War does go on. The Autobots will not rest in attempting to terminate us. We need to resolve this as soon as possible."

Starscream had been expecting multiple scenarios, but he never expected what the little one did next. Immediately, she turned away from the commander, and went to her computer screen. In a matter of moments she called up the audio visual screen, and for the first time in her little life, she addressed the entirety of all Decepticon forces.

"Decepticons," she said with an almost impossibly powerful voice that she obviously received from her sire. "I, more than anyone, am aware that now, we face an extremely difficult point in our history. Our leader, my sire, our dearest Lord Megatron, has sadly joined with the allspark. I understand that now it falls to me to rule the Decepticons. However, I know that I am not equipped for this responsibility. I do not have the experience, nor the proper training to handle something as large as this. I do intend to lead Myself towards being able to lead you sufficiently, but until then," At this point, she said moving her chair to the side so that Starscream could be seen. "I leave you in extremely capable servos. Commander Starscream was my sire's trusted first lieutenant. And I am aware that many of you do not think highly of him. However, we all must put aside our emotional feelings in this regard. If we Decepticons are to achieve victory, we must rise above our loss and move forward. We have much to do to win this war, and and with Commander Starscream leading all of us, we all can achieve Victory, and a lasting peace in memory of our once beloved leader. Thank you."

Starscream just stood there with his mouth agape as Rowan cut the audio-visual feed. It was then that she went back to just staring at the computer screen once again, hoping for something that she knew would not come back.

Until it did.

All of a sudden, right there on the computer screen, was Megatron's spark signature. Rowan practically jumped up with joy. Knockout was happy for her. Starscream's wings fell.

"This must be investigated immediately." Rowan said, an air of excitement and Authority in her voice.

"Now little one," Starscream said in what he hoped was a gentle, educational manner. "I do not believe we should be getting our hopes up just yet. After all, spark signatures rarely come back online. Even if they do, your sire was at Ground Zero. No one could have survived that."

He would have continued further, but then she turned and looked at him. Her optics were so pleading as she said, "Commander, plesse? If my sire is out there, I wish to bring him home."

You would have to be sparkless to say no to those worried little grean human optics, ans despite what you may believe, Starscream was not sparkless.

"Little one, I vow upon the allspark, I shall bring your Sire home to you!" Starscream said, taking a dramat bow before leaving a happy Rowan, and a stunned and chuckling Knockout in the quarters of the former Lord Megatron.

As Starscream left the quarters, he couldn't ignore the painfully pleeding look on the young princess's face, and it was for this reason, that for the first time, he genuinely wanted to bring Megatron back to home.

A. N: This is late. I have no excuse. I'm sorry. Please review. I like reviews.

if speaking the truth is deception, then we are gladly guilty!