Part 18

Skyfire stood before the entire Autobot officer cadre, taking long kliks to process what they had told him. When he'd been summoned into the closed meeting, he'd first thought back to see if he had done anything wrong and forgotten about it. Breaking the rules by accident was a common issue for him. The military protocol that the others followed so naturally instead felt awkward, sometimes completely illogical. The Autobots had all had millions of years to adjust to hierarchy and chain of command, whereas he often found himself unsure of his own function as a scientist in a ship of soldiers.

When they'd sealed the door behind him, he'd nearly frozen in fear. Most of the officers wouldn't even look at him. Had he violated a vital rule?

Although from the way Red Alert and Perceptor hid their faces in their hands, Skyfire didn't think that they were angry. In fact, Ironhide was grinning at the ceiling.

And then Jazz had explained.

Skyfire understood, then. Absolute embarassment and the urge to blast a hole in the floor and jump into it. Even Optimus looked strained, pressing his fist to his face plate. Only Ironhide was unaffected, typing something into his datapad. Across the table, Perceptor glanced a message on his own datapad, then huffed and glared at Ironhide.

"That's where it stands," Jazz said, sliding the story across to Skyfire. "And I figured before we could make any decisions, we better talk to you first."

Now they all looked at him, although in Red Alert's case, he only peered at him from the corner of his optic, too wound up to move. Skyfire met their looks evenly and picked up the datapad, skimming the section that Jazz had read.

Starscream knelt, stasis cuffs locked around his wrists, whimpering behind the vocal lock that his master had placed upon his throat. Skyfire stood before him, fingers digging into the edges of Starscream's helm, as he brought up the cloth soaked in solvent. As gently as when he polished the jet to overload, Skyfire ran the solvent in soft circles over Starscream's purple marks.

Bubbling along the surface, flaking at the edges, the Decepticon insignia wore away with each stroke. Purple ink ran down his frame, slipping along his skid plate and trickling down his thigh. Starscream shuddered, watching the symbols of his faction and rank blur and vanish under Skyfire's hand, then looked up, helpless to stop him.

"Mine again," Skyfire said, cupping his cheek.

"This story is among those Polyhex Manuals on the Ark forums?" Skyfire asked, idly tapping the datapad.

"Yup," Jazz said, possibly the only officer who could seriously talk about it. He sat back with his pedes on the table, taking advantage of no one being willing to tell him to sit straight. "And Starscream comments on it with every update."

"'Every update'," Skyfire murmured, scrolling down toward the end and finding mostly interfacing, with Starscream always under Skyfire's heel.

"Thing is," Jazz said, "we got a shot at a trap, but we ain't got much time to plan and spring it. That story's new update goes live two orns from now, and Starscream reads and answers about half a breem later."

"And my part in this?" Skyfire asked, if only to have it spoken out loud.

"One tempting honey trap." Ironhide finally lifted his head to answer, grinning with such satisfaction that they might as well have had Starscream already in the brig. "And all you gotta do is follow a script."

Prowl tapped his datapad to call up a roughly sketched plan. "The idea is that you comment upon the story immediately after its upload, entice Starscream into a conversation, then lure him out into our ambush."

"I realize this is unorthodox," Optimus said, composing himself again. "But these manuals have already resulted in the capture of one high ranking Decepticon, and we have a hope of doing it again. I will understand if you cannot bring yourself to it."

"I'll do it," Skyfire said, expressionless.

Even Ironhide reset his optics at how quickly he agreed.

Red Alert bent over his own datapad, connecting to Prowl's cloud as they began planning out the mission. Beside him, Perceptor stared longingly at Red Alert's work and wished he had his own distraction. He couldn't help lifting his optics to Skyfire, standing strangely still at the far end of the table.

"How can you bring yourself to do it?" Perceptor asked faintly. "It will be in...in front of so many mechs."

"I have two conditions, though," Skyfire said, ignoring him and facing Prowl's annoyed look. "I craft the responses to Starscream myself. And once he's alone with me, you let me do the talking. No script for me to follow."

"Why?" Prowl demanded, the thunk of his finger on the screen telling everyone exactly what he thought of that idea. "You aren't practiced at psychological warfare, let alone the fact that you're too close to this. Starscream was your friend. If this story didn't force us to use you, I wouldn't have signed off on your involvement."

Skyfire stood straight, drawing himself to his full height. At first Prowl frowned at the display, but Jazz's hand on his arm cooled the Enforcer's rising temperature. The other mech wasn't trying to intimidate him. He wasn't even facing Prowl. Skyfire was trying to steel himself—he wouldn't even meet Prowl's optics.

"You're right," Skyfire said, staring only at the table. "But I'm the only one who knows exactly what to say to make him believe me."

They all waited a klik, but Skyfire didn't elaborate. Prowl shared a look with Jazz, who shrugged, and then looked back up at the taller mech.

"How can you be sure?" Prowl pressed. "I am putting the lives of many Autobots on the line for this. I need justification for that kind of leeway."

"Because," Skyfire said, pausing for a moment, then venting and making himself continue. "You're right. I am too close to Starscream. There is...history there."

All of them stared in silence, and Skyfire squirmed under their looks. Had he pushed their military sensibilities too far this time? Was past fraternization with the enemy also forbidden, as impossible as that was?

Ironhide recovered first, kicking one of the free chairs and sending it rolling to Skyfire, who stopped it in one hand.

"Siddown," Ironhide ordered, shaking his head with a soft laugh of disbelief. "You better believe we got a lot more to talk about now."

As if preparing himself for battle, Skyfire turned the chair and sat down slowly, not sure of where to set his hands. He ended up folding them on the table.

"And please," Ironhide chuckled, "be real detailed."

Perceptor's datapad stylus bounced off of Ironhide's head.

Polyhex Forum :: Decepticon crossovers :: Starscream :: Skyfire :: "Starscream, Starburst"

Authored by :: MaskedMech

Warnings :: Defection, Force-Downloading, Rank Play

The larger mech toyed with Starscream, holding him flush against his frame with one hand. Pinioned between them, Starscream's wings tilted on their hinges, uselessly fluttering against Skyfire. The interface cables pulled taut but stubbornly resisted popping loose, anchored deep into both of their ports.

For all the force of their coupling, Skyfire's berth was nearly silent. Only the hum of their systems rumbling together, Starscream's fingers scraping on Skyfire's confining arm as his whole frame revved faster and faster, matching the speed of his master's much larger engine. He thrashed, but Skyfire's hold was too complete, making his movements small as he synched up to the transport's more powerful systems.

"No threats?" Skyfire whispered, his lips lightly brushing Starscream's audio. "No screams? You were so noisy a moment ago."

With his vocals completely locked up, Starscream gasped in mute desperation, venting the stubborn heat that sweltered inside his core. Swimming in a heat-fueled haze, he threw his helm back, lost in tactile overload.

Endfile :: Page 5/5

To be resumed

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On_Ice :: Starscream gives in far too easily here. He should have resisted for at least another chapter. He never knows what's good for him.

M4gn1f1c3ntSkyPr1nc3:: HOW DARE YOU INSULT STARSCREAM? Why, he is the Pride of Vox War academy! The most brilliant of our arial fighters! If he doesn't surrender it is simply because he has an untamable spirit! An unquenchable fire!

On_Ice :: And yet, with all those qualities he hasn't a drop of common sense.

M4gn1f1c3ntSkyPr1nc3:: You ignorant buffoon! I'll have your head! Name a time and place, and we shall duel! MISSILES AT DAWN!

On_Ice :: Certainly. How about neutral territory, coordinates 323.1 N3 S5? Bring Thundercracker as your second. Skywarp's got a lousy attitude.

M4gn1f1c3ntSkyPr1nc3:: I WILL. Wait. How do you know about that site?

On_Ice :: Are you backing down, Wonderous Sky Prince? Running off in fear?

M4gn1f1c3ntSkyPr1nc3:: NEVAR!

Miles out of Oro Grande, Skyfire stood in the basin of a dug out quarry, watching the clouds drift by. His gaze flicked to his HUD and the chrono in the corner. Less than a breem now. His spark trembled in anticipation.

How you holding up out there? Jazz's voice on their internal communication array came through tinny and full of static. Not overheating, I hope.

I'm fine, Skyfire said, nodding once. Dust everywhere, though.

Yeah, Prowl doesn't pick these places for our comfort, Jazz chuckled. But a little dust ain't so bad if we can keep an optic on you.

Skyfire glanced around the quarry again, scanning the staggered levels of mined out rubble. His sensors found nothing and his HUD gave him an all clear sign. He frowned.

I don't know how you do it. I can't spot any of you.

Good, Jazz said, his grin obvious in his voice. Be pretty pathetic if anyone could see us, huh? Don't worry—we got you surrounded. And you got Mirage for close support when you need it.

"When," not if. The odds were not good that Starscream would go along with their surprise and walk peacefully into a trap. As flighty and erratic as the Decepticon could be, he was also leader of the Armada for a reason. Who knew how those millenia had affected Starscream? He might see Skyfire and launch a missile barrage instead. The Decepticon faction was not stable, and from what he'd seen of his old friend, Starscream had come through the millenia grossly altered.

Skyfire shifted his weight to his other pede and didn't reply.

Nervous? Jazz asked.

A little, Skyfire said admitted. A dust devil whirled by, glancing off his pedes, and he brushed a a handful of sand off his shoulder. You say Mirage is down here with me?

Whoop, crazy canary sighted, Jazz cheered, and Skyfire looked to the sky. Good luck, and don't worry 'bout nothing. There's a couple dozen mechs here, guns drawn. He's ours the moment he drops.

Don't shoot him immediately, Skyfire sent, not realizing he'd spoken aloud as well. I believe I can bring him to heel...so to speak.

Mech, you got the whole command cadre interested in that 'so to speak', Jazz said. But I promise I won't tell Prowl I let you try to put the moves on a Decepticon before firing. Just make sure I don't regret that, got it?

Understood. Now he saw the small spec against the clouds, a growing streak of red and silver that came lower and lower toward the line of the horizon.Beside it, a similar blue dot followed, Thundercracker shadowing Starscream.

Skyfire frowned. He hadn't wanted to bring the other mech into it, but Prowl had insisted. Otherwise Starscream would have brought both members of his trine with him, and better if the Autobots could influence who he brought and how many.

In a sharp arc, Starscream came to an abrupt halt above the quarry, Thundercracker hovering beside him. Both of them transformed in midair, calmly sweeping over the layers of cut stone and hovering. Starscream stared at Skyfire, hardly tilting his head when Thundercracker said something.

Skyfire waited, his armor prickling in the heat. No matter how good their trap was, he didn't want to be at the center of it when it closed around him and two Decepticons. And Mirage. He reminded himself that Mirage was out here, probably already taking aim.

And then Thundercracker flashed his thrusters and flew back into the clouds, disappearing from sight almost immediately. Skyfire blinked, startled by how quickly Thundercracker left. Starscream looked just as surprised, watching the other jet vanish, but he recovered and snapped around again.

Silent, Starscream stared at Skyfire for several kliks, motionless save for how he hovered in the wind.

TBC...