Culture Shock.
Chapter Six.
Starscream was rudely jolted out of recharge as Elita jerked her elbows and feet violently back against him, then thrashed wildly until he let her go. She rolled off the berth throwing aside the quilted cover as she did so and landed on her feet in a half-crouch, her arms and hands up defensively, her posture aggressive, her optics flashing angrily.
"You-you-I trusted you!" she said. "And you took advantage of me needing recharge! Well, you won't get the chance again, I promise you!" she told him.
"Please, Elita check your own sensors, I have done nothing except cuddle you, and I can explain that!" he pleaded. "Don't let this destroy all we've achieved, the trust, the friendship we have?"
"You've got a nerve!" she said.
"You yourself admitted that as a Seeker, I'd try it on a bit, but if you check yourself you'll notice that I'm telling the truth?"
She had to admit, as she checked her skin sensor logs, that indeed he was being truthful and that yes, as a Seeker, she'd expected him to try it on in some way, and had, in fact, been surprised at his restraint. And, okay, there were a few nuzzles and at least one kiss to her neck, but Elita suspected that these were unconscious actions. He had not touched her improperly, at least not while he was awake, and she began to calm down a bit, because if even a fifth of the little she'd heard about Seekers were true, he'd shown remarkable restraint.
"Okay, talk and explain, but I expect this to be good!" she warned him.
"I was tired myself, could have gone back with my wing brothers, but they would expect pre-recharge interfacing, and I didn't feel like it, I was too tired. You offered an alternative, cuddles without anything expected in return, an opportunity to recharge with somebody but without having to do something to get the company I'm used to. I've not recharged alone for vorns, Elita. I am sorry, I meant to set an alarm to wake me and let me slip off so you wouldn't have to know, but I forgot to set the alarm." He looked, Elita noticed, thoroughly miserable.
"So, you hoped to sneak off with me none the wiser?" she asked.
"Only for your peace of mind, Elita, I felt I needed the company, needed the recharge but if I did nothing more and you never knew, where would the harm have been in that?" he pleaded.
"Does this invalidate your keeping of me?" she asked, hoping that by overstepping the mark he would have to let her go. In fact, his explanation did mollify her because it made perfect sense, but if there was a possibility that he'd have to let her go, she'd take it!
"Oh, no, I haven't harmed you, I can only hope to regain the respect my actions towards you lost." he replied.
She suddenly had an awful fear that the loss of respect might give him more time, by custom, to keep her there, so she rushed to reassure him.
"No, no, Starscream, you've not lost what we had, respect or friendship or anything!" she said. "Your reasons make perfect sense and as you said you are a Seeker, so I should expect it, and my sensors do tell me you did nothing improper. It's okay, I'm sorry I overreacted. If you're not used to sleeping alone, the others you could have gone to expected something of you first, but you were too tired, your decision made perfect sense and I'm not offended, really I'm not," she said soothingly.
"Can I curl up with you later then?" he asked hopefully.
She levelled a finger at him. "Don't push it," she said, only half-seriously.
"But I'm a Seeker, I'm designed to push it," he replied in the same manner.
"Well, I'll only take so many Seeker vagarities at once, so don't," she said, but still feeling a bit playful.
"Seeker vagarities? Like this?" he asked teasingly, taking her hand and dropping a kiss on it as he made a courtly bow.
"Manners like that I find acceptable," she said, mock primly, and was relieved to hear him laugh.
"We Seekers have many romantic gestures like that. Would you like to discover them, with my help, of course?"
"As long as they don't mean I accept things without knowing about them," she said, surprised that such an awkward encounter had so swiftly turned to playful banter. She hadn't known Starscream had it in him, and to be perfectly frank, she hadn't realised that she had it in herself, either.
"Do you like flying? I could take you up for a flight if you like," he said. Elita seized at the chance, she had not seen the outside for joors.
"I've never been flown with but I'm willing to try," she said. "Just one thing. Could you find some way of assuring Optimus that I'm okay? Perhaps take me to where he can see me and I can assure him I am not being mistreated?"
"I'm afraid that would be too risky, but you could put on your jewellery and cloak and record a holographic message if you like. I will have Thundercracker deliver it to the Autobot Base if you like."
'Damn!' she thought, but at least she had tried. Her Spark ached for Optimus, she had hoped Starscream would let him see her, and had also hoped at a chance of escape, although that might still be possible. She smiled at Starscream, to put him at ease, and said "Yes please, that would be lovely." She put on the jewellery with Starscream's help, then let the Seeker give her armour a brief buffing before putting on the cloth of gold cloak. At his suggestion, she sat at the table with the energon sweets in front of her and holding the goblet of energon. With the scene set, Starscream began recording, and Elita began to speak.
"Optimus, this is Elita." She took a sip of energon. "As you can see I am undamaged and am being treated well." She ate an energon sweet. "Fuel is provided, as are sleeping quarters, and Starscream himself keeps me company most of the day." She took another mouthful of energon. "I have been promised I will not be harmed and will be released after an unspecified period of time. I thought you would appreciate the reassurance of this message. I love you and miss you, and hope to see you soon. Elita-One out."
Starscream finished recording and played back the message for Elita's approval, then called Thundercracker in. He took one look at her and bowed admiringly. When he straightened up, Starscream gave the chip to Thundercracker, who then played it back to her so she could see it was the same chip with the same message. Starscream took the cloak and jewellery off Elita, then took her hand and walked out with her and Thundercracker. Starscream reached around with his other hand to give Thundercracker a hug and a kiss and stroked his head a few times as Elita revelled in the feel of the outside air. Then Thundercracker took off, describing a lazy loop before heading off into the sky. Starscream put his arms out and picked Elita up, holding her firmly to his body as he said "Shall we find out how you take flying, Elita?"
"Certainly," she replied, and at that, Starscream leaped up and engaged his thrusters.
oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo
It was while Starscream flew with her that the idea occurred to her. She wasn't sure why: perhaps it was the quiet, or the bracing air, or the view, but an idea that might prove beneficial to all suddenly struck her.
"Starscream, am I right in thinking that this period of captivity is designed to show me that you can provide for me, and of course any sparklings we have, better than Optimus could?"
"Indeed," he said. "You have seen the riches and energon I have provided you with, I can continue to make such available if you will come with me and let me be your mate."
"Starscream, I am afraid that nothing you have shown me has convinced me that you could take care of me or any sparklings in the current situation, and in fact no one mech that I know, including Optimus, could convince me that they alone could provide this."
"What is it, dear Elita? Where am I remiss? What is it you think I am unable to do?" he asked. "I have weapons, I would fight to the death for our sparklings. I would kill a thousand Autobots if I had to," he assured her.
"That's what I'm scared of," she said. "Fighting. We are still at war, Starscream. How can you promise me and my offspring safety, without having to be incarcerated in a thick bunker or shelter for all of our lives? Starscream, you can't deflect stray shells or the accidental death of a sparkling if your Base is attacked."
He visibly drooped. "I..I can try," he said.
"You can do better than that, Starscream, I promise you," she said. "No one mech can defend against that, but two could, by making peace. You and Optimus could both protect any offspring, and in a way I'm sure you could accept. As a Seeker, you are used to having a trine, all I'm suggesting is you have a relationship based on the idea of a trine. There is nothing restricting Cybertronians to only having one bond-partner, and if you make peace, the rest of your Decepticons might have a chance to befriend some of the other femmes of my team."
She looked into his face and saw dawning hope in his optics. She raised a gentle hand to cup one cheek.
"Starscream, if we could bring at least the two faction leaders together, you and Optimus - and work to integrate the others of the factions with each other, we could try for a lasting peace, so the war would end and any sparklings could be safe. Why don't we have a three-way bonding ceremony, the three of us, you, me and Optimus, all bonding with each other?"
