"So, do we hold hands and sing Kumbayah?" Sideswipe is smirking at me.

Granted, the circle of cushions on the floor might give that association. And the gelled, crusted energon that looks a bit like cookies. But I wish the purpose of this meeting was that benign.

"If it makes you feel better," I smirk right back. "Want to lead us?"

Runabout chortles. "I like her. She's keeping you on your toes, Autobot."

"Only because I let her," Sideswipe replies loftily. Sunstreaker snorts.

This is going to be interesting.

I look at Ironhide and Kup, seated at strategic intervals around the circle. None of them look worried yet.

The yet is a key word in this scenario.

"What's going on, anyway?" Cliffjumper looks at me. "What was so important that I had to leave my post?"

Curse Ironhide for convincing me to lead this. I don't know half these bots.

Having Sideswipe and Sunstreaker here is reassuring. Hot Rod and Springer as well. But Runabout and Runamuck are wild cards, I don't know Kup at all, and these five Neutrals that suddenly showed up… I don't even know their names. Kup just called them Technobots.

I guess I'll find out.

"There's been a development," I begin. "And before we say anything further, be aware that what you learn here will not go beyond this room."

"Or what?" Runamuck, of course, and he's leering at me.

"Or ya'll be right back in the cell we plucked ya from," Ironhide grumbles, leaning imperceptibly closer to the white twin. "Behave, and ya'll get the chance to actually do something useful."

"We'll stay quiet," one of the new mechs say. "What's going on?"

I sigh and straighten my back. There's no way to soften this. "At this moment, there's an Intergalactic Alliance battle ship in deep orbit around Cybertron. They're here because they've charged Optimus Prime, Starscream and Soundwave, as the leaders of both factions during the war, with a series of war crimes."

This isn't news to all of them. Sideswipe is still and waiting, Sunstreaker's optics narrow slightly. Streetwise nods slowly. Hot Rod looks wild-eyed, though, and the Technobots are all muttering among themselves.

I let it sink in for another few moments before continuing. "Make no mistake, we are fighting them on this. There will be a trial, and we've gotten them to agree to an independent judge. That's what this is about." A deep breath. "We're going back to Earth. And we need a guard contingent."

Hot Rod stares at me. Then he's suddenly on his feet, whooping and grinning. "Earth! YES! I never got to see it last time! Is it true that the roads are smooth as silk?"

Cue one frown from Kup, one sigh from Ironhide, and one stifled laughter from Sideswipe, and Hot Rod seems to understand he's made an error. He sits back down, blushing fiercely. "I mean. It sucks that they're charging the Prime. And Soundwave and Starscream."

Kup is shaking his head. "We're talking later, lad."

"A guard contingent," one of the Technobots reply. "What does this trip entail, exactly?"

I look at Ironhide. He's been in different planning meetings than me and knows more about the actual trip, even though he's not actually going. "Want to answer that?"

"Sure. In a few weeks, a group of mecha's leavin' for Earth. Optimus Prime and Ratchet, Starscream, Soundwave and all the cassettes, Thundercracker and Skywarp, a few more. We don't expect any trouble from the humans, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't prepare for it. Which means bringing guards." He looks around the circle sternly. "Make no mistake. This ain't a holiday. It ain't a joyride. Ya'll need to stay alert the whole time."

"Each of you are here because you've been picked for this, or because you volunteered," I take over. "You're each wanted for this mission. That said, if you really don't want to go, you won't. We'll find someone else. We need mecha we can trust for this."

Hot Rod practically has stars in his optics.

"If you do want to accept this mission," I look at Runabout and Runamuck and the Technobots as I speak, "there will be training involved. There will be team exercises. We won't accept any infighting. You will leave any grudges behind. The goal of this mission is to keep the defendants and witnesses safe. That's what matters."

Cliffjumper nods. "If Starscream's going, I'm going. Sign me up for whatever's necessary."

"We're in," Sideswipe says, leaning against his twin nonchalantly. "But you knew that." Sunstreaker growls and pushes him away.

"Count me in, too." Hot Rod is practically bouncing on his pillow. "I'm ready."

The Technobots are huddled up, conferring amongst themselves. I can barely hear the hum of their voices. Runabout and Runamuck are staring at each other. I wonder if they have the same kind of twin bond as Sideswipe and Sunstreaker do.

"What kind of training?" Runamuck asks. I look at Ironhide.

"The kind every new recruit gets," Ironhide replies, looking almost smug. "Aptitude tests. Hand-to-hand and weapons training. Basic tactics and recon, mainly focused on defense. That kind of thing."

Matching grins bloom on the Decepticon twins' faces. They make me more than a little nervous. "We're in," they say in unison, and I suppress a shiver. Good thing I have a pair of Autobot twins to counter the Decepticon twins with.

From the looks on Sideswipe's and Sunstreaker's faces, they think so too.

The Technobots – I have got to learn these mechs' names – turn back towards the rest of us. The one I had pegged as their leader frowns. "We left Cybertron because we didn't want to be dragged into a pointless war. Now you ask us to defend what we left to avoid."

I shake my head. "No. We're asking you to protect mecha that are critical to the rebuilding process. Hopefully the most you'll have to do is stand around and look stern if anyone approaches." I look at each of them in turn – maybe it'll help get my meaning through. "I won't ask you to betray your principles. We need guards, not soldiers."

"We'll think on it." The leader looks at Ironhide. "Is it sufficient if we contact you tomorrow?"

"Sure." Ironhide stands up, tugging Hot Rod along with him. "Ya got my comm. I'll be in the training center, whipping this one into shape."

"Hey!" Hot Rod protests, and I wince in sympathy. Hopefully Roddy's got more basic training than I did when I started, so he can keep up.

Ironhide looks at the twins. Both pairs. "Sides, Sunny, you two, you coming?"

"Hell yeah." Runabout's smirk is a slow-blooming thing, and Sunstreaker bristles. "This could be interesting."

Kup chuckles. "Guess I better tag along to make sure no one gets hurt." He waves at me. "Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Not that we actually did much meeting.

The Technobots apparently take it as a dismissal, because they start filing out as well. Soon it's just Springer, Streetwise, Cliffjumper and me.

"I'll need to get back to the prison," Springer says. He's frowning slightly, not looking at me. "I know I would be an asset on this, but I'm not sure I can go. Razorclaw's nowhere near ready to take over managing the prison, and we still have mecha in there who are nowhere near ready for alternate arrangements."

I kind of figured that would happen. It wasn't likely that we would get everyone we wanted. "I understand. Let us know if you think of anyone that can replace you on the trip, will you?"

"Will do." And then he's gone too.

I turn to Cliffjumper. "Are you going back out to Starscream?"

"Yes." No hesitation, no suspicion. I'm glad. "That's where I belong right now. He's doing better." A smile flashes across Cliffjumper's face, there and gone again in a second. "Thanks for that."

I'm not going to say 'it was my pleasure', because it really wasn't. And he knows that too. "I'm glad he's healing. I need to talk to him, mind if I join you?"

Cliffjumper looks surprised for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, okay. Let me just comm ahead so I know how his mood is."

Cliffjumper turns away to access his comm, and I focus on Streetwise. "So what do you think?"

He smiles a bit. It's small and soft and familiar. "I have to admit, I'm a bit worried about the whole thing. But I think the guard contingent will work out. There is something about those Technobots I can't put my finger on, though, wish I knew what it was."

"Hopefully nothing." It comes out as more of a suggestion than a certainty, unfortunately, but Streetwise doesn't comment on that. "Maybe they'll tell us."

"Maybe." That small smile again. "I have to go. We're training a Neutral to take my place while I'm on Earth, and Prowl's getting impatient."

"You mean Jazz is getting impatient and Prowl has to handle it," I counter, winking at him. "Go on, get out of here."

Cliffjiumper nods at me as Streetwise leaves. "Acid Storm says he's ranting at an experiment, which means it's a good day to interrupt. Skywarp and Thundercracker are on their way out there, though, I hope that's no problem."

I shake my head. "I was going to comm them if they weren't there. It's good that they're a bit ahead of me."

"All right." Cliffjumper steps aside, gestures for me to walk ahead of him. "Come on then. Let's go see him."

I'm very familiar with Starscream's jail-come-apartment now. It seems less despondent than it did the first time I was out here. There are fewer locked doors, fewer alert guards when I follow Cliffjumper inside. It even seems like there are fewer camera views on the monitors.

Cliffjumper notices me looking. "He's doing so much better," he says softly. "We decided we could give him some privacy. We're not watching every move he makes anymore." He winks. "Except if he spends more than two hours in the wash racks. Then we activate the camera again." He looks at the monitor in front of Ion Storm, where twenty small images are showing Starscream's apartment from almost every angle.

"I'm glad he's doing better." I can see a flash of white pacing in the corner of one of the small images.

"It's night and day." Cliffjumper full-on smiles. "He doesn't even throw that much stuff anymore."

Right on cue, something smashes into the large one-way window. Ion Storm winces. "Let me activate that so we can see him. He's probably ranting at Skyfire again."

A few keystrokes, and the dark window clears and brightens until we can see what's going on. At the same time, a tinny voice comes from the speaker on the wall.

"… solution would be, don't you? More of the same! Gah!" Inside the room, Starscream throws his hands up. "Even Megatron knew we couldn't mess with the sources. Slagging drillers."

"Throwing the samples into the wall won't help us much either." Skyfire's reproach is mild.

Starscream waves a hand dismissively. "It helps me. That's good enough. Do we have enough barium to rerun the test?"

Skyfire checks something on a datapad. "Barely. And only if you don't throw the container onto the wall again."

Starscream's grin is wicked. "Then I'll do my best to restrain myself."

Holy crap. He's so much better. I know I'm staring, but I can't stop.

"It's relieving, isn't it?" a voice says from behind me. I turn to see Thundercracker smiling slightly as he watches the scene unfolding inside the apartment. "I haven't seen Star in a mood like this in millions of years."

And I'm here to wreck it. Slag.

Something must have shown on my face, because Thundercracker puts a hand on my arm. "None of that now. You didn't send the Alliance slaggers here. You didn't decide what they would do." He nods towards Starscream, now happily measuring something at his desk and pouring it into a cube. "It's better that we give him enough time to prepare himself. He can come to terms with this if we let him have the chance, but it requires that we don't spring it on him as a last minute surprise."

Skywarp walks up to stand at Thundercracker's elbow, watching the two mecha in the apartment. "Star's been through so much slag already. He's doing really good. Skyfire checked his coding patches first thing today, and everything's integrating much faster than expected. Star wants to get better."

Thundercracker looks at me. "Are you ready?"

I shake my head. "Not by a long shot. But we have to do this." I glance at the window. "Should we let them finish up?" Not that I have any way of knowing when they're finished. They're still talking about what they're doing, but the only words that make sense to me are the 'let's' and the 'and' and the 'results'.

"We'll go in," Thundercracker decides. "Tell Star we're here. Then we can sit down and wait for them to finish up."

Skywarp nods, a faint grin on his face. "Less chance of Star getting distracted that way. And hopefully he won't throw something at us this time."

"He won't throw anything as long as we walk in through the front door like sane mecha," Thundercracker points out. "Not teleport in there while he's experimenting with volatile liquids and appear right behind him like a crazy person."

Skywarp winks at me. "That was a ton of fun though. Even with me having to clean out my vents with a brush to get it all off. He hasn't screeched like that in ages."

These mechs really are very much like brothers.

Cliffjumper takes over monitor duty from Ion Storm, and I follow the two seekers through the guard room and out the door. Everything is much more relaxed – the guns are out of sight, and Acid Storm and Nova Storm are both napping on a couch. I'm wondering if the door to Starscream's apartment is even locked.

Turns out it isn't.

"He hasn't tried to leave," Thundercracker murmurs. "He hasn't even tried the door. And we still keep a watch on him all the time. But even if he left, where would he go? He's disarmed, and he doesn't know the new settlement at all. He can flee, but he has nowhere to flee to."

"Plus, we keep him pretty happy in there," Skywarp adds. "I don't think he even wants to leave."

I follow Thundercracker inside. Starscream and Skyfire are still discussing their experiment, and Starscream's chuckling at something. Skyfire's tone is gently teasing.

Skywarp's optics are shining.

"Hey, Star," Thundercracker calls.

Starscream looks up, then dismisses him with a gesture. "Oh, it's you. Sit down somewhere, I don't have time for you yet."

I didn't think Skywarp's grin could get any wider. Apparently, I was wrong.

I sit down where Starscream can see me easily, but don't greet him yet. I'm perfectly happy to wait until they're done. Honestly, I'm not looking forward to this at all.

Curse Prowl and Ultra Magnus for deciding I should be the one to explain what's going on to everyone. I'm a therapist, not anyone's superior officer. This isn't my job.

Thundercracker is calm next to me. I try to let it rub off on me. Not that it helps much – I'm still a ball of nerves when Starscream finally puts his experiment away and comes to sit next to Skywarp on the other sofa.

His sharp optics meet mine. "So, you look like someone stomped on your favorite petrorabbit. What's up?"

Petrorabbit?

Maybe I should ask Hound.

"We have some bad news," Thundercracker says frankly, before I have the chance to open my mouth. "The Intergalactic Alliance is here."

Starscream swears colorfully and at length, and I'm actually a bit impressed. Ratchet could learn a thing or two. "Those slaggers. What do they want? We don't owe them anything."

"They seems to think we owe them a trial." Skywarp doesn't sound very concerned, and he doesn't look it either, with the way he's lounging back on the sofa with his feet curled up in the seat.

Starscream stares suspiciously at him for a moment. I can tell the exact moment when he realizes what Skywarp is talking about – his optics widen, his face almost paling, and if he'd been armed I'm sure his guns would have been powering up.

I've seen this exact response before. On Sunstreaker. Prowl. Ironhide. Blades. Even Silverbolt.

"The Alliance wanted to charge Optimus Prime and Megatron with a series of war crimes." I try to keep my voice soft and calm. The part of me that's not nervous about this discussion is noting how Starscream doesn't flinch at Megatron's name. He's really made a lot of progress, a lot of it by himself. Skywarp is right, Starscream wants to get better. "In lieu of Megatron, they've decided to charge you and Soundwave."

Starscream is suddenly up and pacing. If he'd been any other mech, I'm sure he would be wringing his hands.

Best get this all out at once.

"In three weeks, we'll be leaving for Earth." Starscream does flinch at that. "The humans have agreed to act as independent judges. We're putting together a team of witnesses and guards to travel with us."

"Witnesses?" Starscream's voice is almost calm, quiet, which apparently worries his trinemates as much as it worries me. Behind Starscream, Skyfire's frowning. "To witness what? The war happened. The atrocities happened. We're guilty."

"Megatron was guilty," I correct. "Star, I have every intention to prove that you and Soundwave acted under duress and cannot be held accountable."

Starscream stops and stares at me. "How?"

I'm not sure how much of my plans I want to reveal to him. How much will make this more acceptable, and how much will be too much. But I have to reveal something. Frag. "By treating this as an abuse case. Humans have a history of blaming the commanders for the soldiers' actions, which is right, but they also have a well-established principle that says you can't be held accountable if you acted under extreme duress or fear for your life. Or the lives of those you care about." I meet Starscream's stare head-on.

There's no doubt in my mind that Starscream was throwing himself between Megatron and his trine, his seekers, his people whenever it was necessary. Granted, some of the time he was probably guilty of whatever Megatron accused him of – not that he deserved being beaten and raped for any of it. But considering how much more damage Ratchet has found on Starscream compared to any of the others… The mech was offering himself as a shield for someone. Probably a whole lot of someones.

"Does Prime agree with this?" His voice is still quiet, subdued, and I see Skywarp physically stopping himself from getting up and going to him.

"Prime, Prowl, Ultra Magnus, Ratchet, Hook… Everyone. Everyone agrees." I need Starscream to see he has support in this.

"What… What will I need to do?" Starscream wraps his arms around himself, and Skywarp clearly can't stop himself any longer. He's off the couch and plastered up against Starscream's back between one vent and the next.

"Come to Earth with us, for starters." I watch as Thundercracker gets up as well, planting himself against Starscream's other side. I stay seated. This isn't for me. "Help me prepare a defense for you. Drum up any witnesses we might not know about. Cooperate. On Earth, you'll have to testify."

"We're not letting you do this alone," Thundercracker murmurs. "We're coming with you."

"Do you need a few moments?" I ask, because I have to. Starscream's never given any indication that he needs time before – I'm sure he sees it as a weakness – but this is a lot to throw on a mech who recently had his coding rewritten. He's still recovering, and this can't be easy to handle.

But Starscream stays true to form. He presses up against his trinemates for a moment before pulling himself loose and sitting down. "No. I'm fine. Who else is going?"

Dear diary,

Starscream is one impressive mech. I can see why Megatron wanted him on his side. He's got so much will, so much strength, and he's both clever and intelligent.

And Megatron must have been an epic idiot to throw all that away.

It took hours to talk through everything. Starscream wanted to know it all – who was going, how the humans were handling it, every detail of the charges, who was handling what in our absence. He never let up, not until I left.

I'm fairly sure he collapsed into Skywarp's and Thundercracker's arms the moment I was out the door, though.

There's so much to do in three weeks. I need to take more time with Sunstreaker. Work as much as I can with Breakdown and Dead End before we leave. Check in with the rest of the Stunticons. Do a psych eval of Runabout and Runamuck, so we're prepared for whatever they throw at us. Work with Soundwave and Starscream, make sure they can handle the pressure of testifying.

Pit, work with a whole lot of them to make sure they can handle the pressure of a three-week shuttle flight in close quarters with members of the opposite faction. For some of them, that might be a tall order.

Fuck the Intergalactic Alliance. We were doing so well. I wish I could keelhaul the lot of them.