The Price Of Power

Chapter Nine: Starscream.

Four weeks later.

As Starscream headed back towards Earth he was not in a good mood at all.

On his foray out of the Solar System in search of followers, he had found others, but he found them all clustered together, in a group led by Soundwave. Starscream had threatened, wheedled, connived and even pleaded with them, but had found that none of Soundwave's band were willing to join him. Soundwave had received a communication from Frenzy, and although he was eventually heading for Earth, he refused to unite with Starscream.

"Soundwave-rejects-Starscream's-leadership. Soundwave-has-own-plans."

"What plans?" Starscream asked. "Don't you want revenge on the species that destroyed the AllSpark? Don't you want to continue the glorious Decepticon cause?"

"Plans-private. Revenge-unprofitable. Cause-unattainable."

Starscream considered challenging Soundwave to a duel for the leadership, and for not revealing his plans, but quickly dismissed the idea: Soundwave's mind-reading ability would give the big grounder an unfair advantage, and Starscream and Soundwave were not friends. Soundwave, Starscream knew, could be vicious, and to challenge him would mean Starscream running the risk of being killed.

Starscream chose to retreat, and left Soundwave and his group to go on their way, and looked for others to rally behind him, but it seemed Soundwave had picked up almost all the stragglers, and Starscream had returned to Earth alone, secure in the knowledge that he at least had his trine.

It was only once he had landed and contacted the two other Seekers that Starscream found that he no longer had Thundercracker on his side. Skywarp, however, had returned, and had managed to find an abandoned building to hide in. It was far from perfect, not big enough for either of them to stand up straight in, but it was a start.

"Why has Thundercracker deserted us? Why?" Starscream hissed.

"It seems that he has chosen to remain with the Autobots and Megatron, and he seems to have gained the Prime's favour. Thundercracker was always easily swayed, you know that." Skywarp tried to soothe.

"Well, it seems Soundwave has broken from us with a following of the rest of the Decepticons to reach this sector, but who needs them, a bunch of useless grounders? I'm sure the Coneheads and the Rainmakers and other Seekers will flock to my leadership when they get here, especially if I have an incentive for them," He paused. "I'm going for a brief flight, and I'm going to see if I can get what I failed to obtain earlier." The Air Commander stalked back out. "Perhaps you can ready a makeshift cell? Prime's favour indeed! Let's see how quickly Thundercracker'll come back once we have her for ourselves."

Before Skywarp could make any sort of reply, Starscream was outside, and Skywarp heard him take off.

Moving to see if there was a smaller room that could be changed into a cell, Skywarp mused over whether there was anything he could do about Starscream's dark obsession. All he could do, aside from follow Starscream's orders, was wait.

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 oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

"Hey, I am detecting more landings," Mirage announced at the Autobot base, which had a communications console and various other equipment but was still very much a work in progress.

"Autobots or Decepticons?" asked Hound. "Some more of our own would be nice."

Mirage, along with Hound, Bluestreak, the Twins, and Prowl, had all arrived within the same seven days about two weeks after the Mission City battle. They had been debriefed by Ironhide about the battle, the loss of the AllSpark, Optimus' gender change, and the presence of Barricade, Megatron, Frenzy and Thundercracker. Then Optimus had come out to welcome them personally, and told them anything else they wished to know.

"Decepticons," Hound replied. Megatron, who was also there, said "I will go out and investigate." As the silver mech walked by, Mirage could not help tensing, although Megatron gave no sign he had noticed.

"It's going to take some time to get used to, isn't it?" Hound said once Megatron was out of sight. Mirage nodded.

"Yes it is," Mirage said.

There was a commotion outside, which drew their attention. Switching to the outside cameras, they saw an amazing scene outside. Starscream was airborne, holding to him the limp form of Optimus Prime who was apparently offline. Obviously the Decepticon leader had decided to eliminate resistance on Optimus' side, but he hadn't reckoned with Megatron coming out at that moment – which was actually pure serendipity, as he had been heading out to investigate the new landings – nor with the equally serendipitous return of Thundercracker from a flight.

Both Megatron and Thundercracker were attacking Starscream, hand to hand. Starscream was trying to dodge and get away by agility alone, but that hadn't worked the first time and it wasn't working the second time, especially not now he had two opponents, both willing to draw energon. Both Megatron and Thundercracker seemed to be attacking Starscream with an unnerving ferocity. From Megatron, Mirage expected it, but the fury in Thundercracker's optics was frightening, the intensity of the attack he was launching upon Starscream was unexpected, Thundercracker was usually mild-mannered.

"Get off her, put her down! She's carrying!" the Seeker cried. It made no difference, nothing did until Megatron grabbed Starscream and dug his claws into one wing, tearing it half-off with a vicious twist. Starscream keened and his attempts to fly became erratic, but it was only when Thundercracker himself almost wrenched off the other wing at the seam, and clawed and bit at Starscream's neck cables. As Thundercracker pried Starscream's arms from around Optimus and bore her tenderly to the ground, Starscream passed out from energon loss and the damage. Megatron caught him, landed, and headed into the base.

Ratchet, prepare to receive an offline Optimus. Oh, and also a severely wing-damaged and bleeding Seeker, Mirage commed. He felt anything but charitable towards Starscream, but he was certain Megatron intended to take Starscream to Ratchet. Thundercracker would bring Optimus to Ratchet as well, or face the medic's – and Megatron's – wrath, so Mirage decided the medic deserved some sort of warning.

The only response he received was an annoyed burst of static.

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The landings had been all but forgotten in the fuss surrounding the attempted abduction of Optimus, and the subsequent battle that followed. Once Optimus had recovered from the stun blast Starscream had hit him with, and Thundercracker had been assured by Ratchet that Optimus and the sparkling she was carrying – which Optimus herself said could only be Thundercracker's – was okay, the anger and tension ebbed from him.

"As long as she and our sparkling will not suffer any harm from this, than that's all that matters." Thundercracker said, wrapping his arms about her.

"Well, they will both be fine," Ratchet stated. He watched them leave, with Megatron following not long after, then went through to the other pat of the med bay, where the offlined Starscream waited to have various slashes, scratches, energon lines (Ratchet had emergency-clamped them) and two severely-damaged wings to be repaired.

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 oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo oOo

"Optimus Prime Sir, I think you need to come over here." Mirage said, as Optimus, Megatron, and Thundercracker entered the control room. The men had, for a while, tried calling Optimus by the term 'ma'am' but after a day, Optimus asked them to keep calling her 'Sir', as they were all more used to using that title, and she was used to being called that.

Optimus moved over to where Mirage had brought up the image from the gate cameras. Soundwave was stood outside, with several other Decepticons beside him. Soundwave spoke.

"Soundwave-will-speak-to-Megatron-and-Optimus-Prime. Intentions: peaceful. Entry-requested. Discussion-desirable."

"Do I have your word on your Spark that you woll not attack any of us if we allow you in?" Optimus asked.

"Affirmative." Soundwave intoned.

"I am intrigued, I must admit," Optimus admitted. "Very well, Ironhide, allow him and his followers to enter under Protocol Five of the Treaty of Iacon. Ratchet is busy enough with Starscream, so if need be, we can get them checked afterwards."

"Medic-with-us. All-mechs-healthy."

"Very well," Optimus said. "Come in, Soundwave, and bring your followers with you. We will talk."