Disclaimer: I own nothing. Except Cumulolance, who I don't particularly want. One of these days I'll try and trade.

Wanted to do something with new character. Will say no more until the end. Damn Seekers.

Starglaring

It was not a normal night on Cybertron. He knew that; everyone knew that. He knew also that nothing like it had ever been recorded: if it had, someone would have been sure to mention it. Some people just enjoyed doing that sort of thing.

He wasn't needed inside, and things seemed to be going smoothly for the moment, so he'd taken the opportunity to find some peace and quiet. And it was quiet, out in the night air, the base wall behind him, half the planet ahead, just the sentries scattered around their posts, a few of them just close enough that he could hear the faint murmur of their idle chats. Nobody had seen fit to disturb him, which was probably a blessing; he wasn't sure. Not that he minded too much, though; he didn't look for company any more.

It was dark, as always, and there was nothing particularly strange about the stars, even the fact that they were visible: it happened sometimes, when there was a lull in the fighting, or because there just didn't happen to be enough smoke in the atmosphere that night to obscure them.

No, what was really causing a stir (and drawing comments from the bored security-bots, because they seriously had nothing better to do) was the addition of numerous small lights, generally about twice the size of the lights-that-were-really-stars, some stationary, some moving on their own power, all of them glowing a brilliant green that made it look as if perhaps the security staff (possibly under Cyclonus's direction) had launched a planet-wide fireworks display.

Maybe it did mean something like that, come to think of it. Not that he could see all that much to celebrate (not yet, at any rate) but no doubt the Minicons knew what they were doing…

"Mind if I join you?"

It wasn't, in fact, the voice that was surprising, but Thrust couldn't remember the last time anyone had asked him that. The Sea Team had made something of an effort, true, but even their unusually friendly manner had done nothing for him since the Decepticons had left Earth. This new approach startled him, though he was practised enough to not show it.

"I don't see why not," he answered cautiously, turning his head to see who was speaking to him. The Seeker nodded and took a step forward to stand beside the green and grey tactician, leaning back against the wall behind them. Thrust peered at him as he did so, mildly curious as to the other Decepticon's motive for joining him. A slightly odd-looking Seeker, to be sure: very few were masked, as this one was, and there was a difference in the shape of the cockpit, too – it was much sleeker and didn't flare out to the sides as others' did. A tidy Seeker, then, almost unassuming – except for the tall, thin crest on his helmet, the like of which he had never seen on any other flier, and which might have called to mind a shark's dorsal fin, but this was Thrust, and he thought 'plume'.

The purple and black jet seemed to notice the attention as he settled himself. "The name's Skywarp," he said simply, by way of introduction.

"I know." Thrust had been here before, stopping over while his summons to Earth was being processed. He had stayed less than a day, but he'd spent it learning a little about the base and the people there: half out of curiosity, half in the idle hope that the Autobots would attack while he was there and that he, Thrust, master strategist, would be called upon to drive them back.

Had it been so recently? It seemed so much longer, Thrust mused. He'd been so… so idealistic, he realised sadly, full of high hopes that had long withered in the face of Megatron's displeasure. Not that he should forget the part his fellow Decepticons' incompetence had played in his trials, he thought bitterly. Credit where credit's due, after all.

Skywarp watched the other Decepticon bemusedly. Part of him wondered what was preoccupying the tactician, but that wasn't what he had come to find out. "You were on Earth, right? With Starscream."

Thrust started a little at the mention of the red Seeker, immediately wary of answering: he had no love of Starscream, but who knew what Skywarp wanted with him? "True," he replied cautiously, studying the masked Seeker's expression. "Why do you ask?" Oh, wait, that was right: Starscream was an ex-wingmate of Skywarp's, wasn't he? "Ah."

Frag. He knew Skywarp grimaced inwardly. So much for the casual approach. "Yeah," he said shortly. "Look, there's only one thing I want to know, so just tell me and we can drop the subject: did he make it back alive?"

Why did he ask, Thrust wondered. Concern? Perhaps. "I'm afraid so," he said dryly.

If anything, the other Decepticon's (lack of) expression darkened. "I see." He looked away, staring out into space; he was in no hurry to go inside the base if Starscream was prowling the corridors.

Thrust considered him for a moment, and then turned back to examine the sky. Here and there he could see a moving point of green light: most of the Minicons were still out there, for reasons he didn't know – but they probably had to do with the plan Sideways had explained to him…

"They look kinda' like meteors," said Skywarp, and Thrust turned to see that the Seeker had followed his gaze. "Are they all out there?"

"Some of them stayed," Thrust answered. "Partnered ones, on the whole. The Autobots raided our base shortly before we left Earth; no doubt they let the ones they captured just fly out of the nearest airlock."

"They would." Something about Skywarp's tone suggested this was a cause of great displeasure; for an instant Thrust hoped he wasn't one of the people who'd been so enthusiastic about using the Minicons' power to win the war.

In any case, why ask? It didn't matter now. They were all doomed, Thrust thought, and the thought was greatly pleasing to the tactician. For all their sneers and mockery, in spite of their casual disrespect and derisive laughter, he would have the last laugh. Ultimately, he alone would triumph, yes, and let them-

"Someone told me once that in some places, things like meteor showers are considered lucky," said Skywarp casually, unaware that he was interrupting the other's thoughts. He shrugged.

Thrust laughed bitterly. "Oh, they are; comets too, in fact. Unfortunately, they never give any indication as to whose luck it is." It was a long time since Cumulolance had taught him about weather patterns; maybe he should have forgotten. And if he'd had any sense, he would have, too.

Skywarp didn't see much to laugh about, but then he was hardly in a mood to see the humorous side of anything, let alone someone else's private jokes. "Well, they wouldn't," he agreed. "Not even the fake ones." The tactician gave him a quizzical look; he indicated the distant Minicons. "They can't foretell much good if Starscream came back with them." He wasn't one to discuss his private affairs openly, but Starscream was hardly very popular anyway. Besides, it surely did no harm to distance himself from the unwanted relation.

"Mmm." Thrust gave a quiet chuckle. "I could have done without him myself."

"Couldn't we all?" The dark Seeker relaxed a little, perfectly willing to converse if it was at Starscream's expense. "Did he do anything useful while you were there?"

"Ah…" Thrust took on an air of weighty consideration. "Well… he did bring back two Minicon combiners one time – although I seem to recall that he was the one who ran off with one of them in the first place."

Skywarp snorted, still staring at the sky. "Sounds like him. How'd he do it, then? Don't tell me he was at the head of a grand army of Minicons…" He felt better, now: if Starscream served no other purpose, he provided a kind of inane comic relief after his own escapades. He was ridiculous enough that you could laugh at him while you plotted his removal to some place where he could do no more harm. Just let me get the old comedy circuits warmed up, and we'll soon be feeling better… A series of amusing images involving the red one (often in pain, for some reason) came to mind; no doubt his company would appreciate them…

"No." Thrust paused, smiling inwardly in anticipation of the reaction he could foresee and completely ignorant of the impending humour-fest. "He joined the Autobots."

The other Decepticon's expression changed from dark amusement to barely-restrained fury with the speed of summer lightening. Crimson optics willed death on the nearest star – indeed, tensed as he was, wings trembling in anger, Skywarp's silence held the prospect of impending nova to the watching strategist. If the Seeker had a mouth, Thrust mused, there would be fangs.

"Yes, that was my reaction, too," he said calmly.

"He what?" hissed Skywarp, his voice the howl of a gale on winter nights. Thrust didn't bother to reply. "Is this true- of course it is, it always is. I wouldn't put it past him, either." He shook his head with a snarl. "That idiot. He's always been one, but I wouldn't have thought…" He trailed off with another disgusted shake of the head, crested helmet making it a much more dramatic gesture than was necessary.

"I can't say I was expecting it either." Thrust tilted his head back to examine a slightly higher light. "Although I must admit that I may have contributed to his anger."

"There's no excuse for traitors," snapped the other flier. "It doesn't matter how angry you are: you don't desert. Ever." His voice held nothing but contempt for those who could even dream of such a course; Thrust smiled in expression and laughed in his mind.

"Of course," he agreed smoothly, but thought: What would you know? You've never been so far gone; your sort never has. You really do put everything into your work, don't you? Unusually competent you might be, but you're just another servile warrior, following Megatron to the point of no return… but you'll see. "It's a pity you weren't there. I have no doubt that you would have handled yourself with infinitely greater skill."

"Hrmph." Skywarp gave him a sidelong look that made Thrust fear for a moment that the Seeker had caught on to him. "If you'd bugged me so much, I'd just have stolen your helmet a few times until you took the hint."

Thrust smiled faintly, uncertain what to make of that or how exactly his helmet might have been removed: it being his head, he suspected pain would be involved. "It's over now, in any case."

"How did he get back here?" Skywarp demanded, anger replaced by incredulity. "What's he doing in our base if he's an Autobot?"

"Megatron brought him back," answered the conehead, innocently excising from the record any mention of his own role in that particular affair. He studied the masked Seeker with interest, noting the lack of an immediate response with no small satisfaction.

"Guess I can't argue with that," Skywarp admitted finally. He relaxed a little, settling back into sullen gloom and seeming to merge with his own shadow. "I'd as soon be rid of him as any Autobot on this planet," he added, and then, with a sneer, before the other could provide any reaction, "Any other Autobot, I mean."

Thrust smirked, if only because he could imagine very well how Starscream might react, were he there. "He's a disgrace, I know. But he'll hardly be allowed to continue tainting the reputations of other Decepticons for much longer."

"That's more true than you know," came the low voice. Thrust gave the masked flier a sharp look, scrutinising the expressionless face with new attention. Anger still, yes… it was like watching a very solid thundercloud, but there was something else there, in the tone of voice, the attitude. What hadn't he had time to read in the files? The tactician suddenly had a fleeting impression that there was something he had missed. Perhaps he had misjudged…

But Skywarp was wrong, nevertheless. Whatever the purple and black one was thinking, it was irrelevant with Thrust's own plan coming to fruition. In a week, two weeks, at most, none of this would matter any more.

It gave a great sense of superiority to Thrust, who felt he deserved it. There was only so much of this currying favour he could take, even if it was necessary to keep his pet projects going.

Lost in thought yet again, the tactician was honestly surprised when the Seeker broke the silence.

"I need to do something," said Skywarp, half to cover the fact that right now he really needed something to do. "I'll see you around, I suppose." He barely gave the other flier a chance to nod acknowledgement before he slipped away, silent movements belying his really rather violent intentions.

Thrust watched him go with some amusement and mild disdain; then he returned his gaze to the darkened sky. He, too, had work to do, but there was no need to hurry just yet. Some victories were best savoured, and for now it was safe to do so - in private.

Clear skies, he noticed; a good omen, Cumulolance would say, (although, fate be praised, that one wasn't here). Nonetheless, Thrust was absolutely certain, as he turned to go inside, that a storm was brewing.

In fact, he intended to make sure of it.

Author's Note: OK, quickie explanation here. I know standard procedure is that Skywarp and Thundercracker come together (and 'Warp's personality is different), and this is fine. However. 1), I tend to go by the Armada MTMTE for character stuffses, twisted to fit the cartoonverse. Skywarp in that uber-efficient purple ninja. 2), There are already one or two characters who fit the Spazzy Flier bill (Terradive, the other purple-blue and black jet!). 3), This way, I get to have ten times more fun with Skywarp and Thunderclash (his Minicon, peoples), whose main way of annoying Skywarp would otherwise be useless. 4), I wanted to try him this way.

For the record, I reckon Skywarp and Thrust would get along just fine were Thrust not so angry at his fellow Decepticons at the point in time this is written. At least, they'd get along surprisingly well. This started as an extremely short thing to try my hand at The Warped One and Thrust snuck in and started being bitter when I wasn't looking. Through my (cough) rigorous security measures. I have no idea how he does it. (cough)