Ch. 113

Smokescreen smiled wide, "And then, this is the best part! So Optimus comes back out from under the mountain. He sees all the troops we're fighting against," the white mech moved as he spoke, pretending he was holding a large sword, "he winds up the pitch and then BOOM! The Star Saber throws a razor sharp blade of light at the Cons! They were decimated with one swoop! It was amazing!"

Miko gasped loudly, then glared at Bulkhead, "And you didn't tell me you were going on this mission? Bulk, you know I have to see the cool stuff. This was cool stuff!"

The green mech shrugged, "Miko, this was way dangerous. Even I was having trouble holding'em back."

The girl smirked, "Well that's why you gotta bring your back up, Bulk!" she punched a fist into the palm of her hand, "I'm always ready to give the Cons a beat down!"

Arcee smiled, "Easy, Miko. Save that enthusiasm for another day."

Jack shook his head, "So, the whole thing went well then. Congrats, guys. Another victory for Team Prime."

Ratchet tiredly walked in from the med bay, shaking his helm, "Half a victory at least... Arcee, I'll start with you..."

The femme followed the medic back into the med bay and Raf poked his head out from behind the couch, "Half a victory? But you guys won. You're all back in one piece."

Bumblebee beeped quietly, telling Raf something had happened to Starscream.

Smokescreen frowned, "I thought he went up to the ship as a hologram. Nothing could've actually happened to Scream, right?"

Bulkhead shrugged, "Maybe. Maybe not. That plan was mostly experimental. And I don't think we can comment on the medical stuff."

Optimus quietly watched as Arcee walked back to the group, "How is everything?"

Arcee took a moment before speaking, "... Starscream won't talk."

Smokescreen rolled his optics, "Isn't that a bonus?"

The femme glared at him, "Apparently, the Cons tried to gain control over the programs that were allowing Starscream into their system. While Ratchet and Soundwave fought to take back controls, something happened with Starscream. When they woke him up, he tried to shoot them."

Optimus slowly shuttered his optics, "And now he will not speak?"

Arcee nodded, "Knockout, Breakdown, Soundwave and Ratchet have been trying to talk to him for the past half hour. He won't say a word. Nothing's wrong with him physically..."

Ratchet poked his helm out and motioned to Bumblebee, "Come on, you're next."

Bumblebee beeped softly and went to the med bay.

Arcee gestured back at the yellow mech, "Ratchet is trying to see if one of us can get a reaction," she crossed her arms as she looked Smokescreen over, "I know you'll probably get him to do something. But it might end up with you needing medical attention."

Smokescreen smirked, "What can I say, I have a way with that Con, I guess. If it means he'll talk again, it's what's best, right?"

"Perhaps not," Optimus said gently, watching as Bumblebee came walking back, "Anything?"

The yellow mech bubbled sadly, saying Starscream wouldn't even look at him.

Smokescreen put up his fists excitedly, "Aw yeah, my turn. Don't worry, Optimus. I got this. I can do it."

The Prime gently set a servo on the white mech's shoulder armor to hold him back, going to the med bay himself before Ratchet could reemerge, "Ratchet. May I enter?"

The medic glanced back from a computer console and sighed, waving him in, "Come on through..."

Optimus walked in quietly and watched as Knockout and Breakdown moved out of his way. Starscream was sitting on the med berth, curled up tightly, his optics gazing ahead but really looking at nothing. Soundwave was sitting beside him in a chair, but the blue mech made no move to acknowledge the Prime's presence.

Optimus sat beside the seeker on the berth and said nothing. Starscream's chassis trembled lightly every once in a while, but other than that he did not move.

Knockout frowned, "Well? Aren't you going to talk to him?"

The Prime shook his helm, "Not yet..."

Soundwave's helm raised slightly and he stood, walking out of the medbay. As he left, he took hold of Knockout's arm and pulled him along. The red mech protested lightly and Breakdown followed with a smile. Ratchet watched them go then slowly pulled himself away from his computer, silently following after them.

Optimus still did not speak. The Prime listened quietly to the seeker's soft intakes, irregular and quiet. There was a lulling panic within him that he didn't know how to let escape. Something had happened. Starscream had been harmed as Optimus had feared.

Slowly, ever so slowly, the Prime reached around and put his arm around the seeker's shoulders. Starscream's intakes hitched and his trembling ceased. Neither moved for a while, each listening to the quiet hum of the machines and the murmurs of guesswork coming from just a round the corner. It was a few minutes later that Starscream finally lifted a servo, the limb trembling, and Optimus hovered his own servo under it, letting the smaller servo fall into his palm.

The Prime spoke very gently, "We have obtained the Star Saber."

The seeker nodded in response, glancing very quickly up at the red mech; Optimus smiled, "Did you know there was a message from Alpha Trion imbedded within the blade?"

Starscream shook his helm slightly and the Prime continued, "It was about the Omega Keys, which you so bravely retrieved for us, and the Omega Lock, which could revive our home. Did you already know about them?"

The seeker nodded again and a choked intake escaped him, "He..." he stopped, trailing off.

Optimus gently gripped Starscream's servo, fighting a frown on his faceplates, "Starscream... what did he do to you?"

The seeker trembled, "He..." he swallowed, "b... before... he misused the Omega Lock," he murmured; the Prime's form sagged, but he listened, "You had to destroy it. We... lost a means of saving Cybertron... We should save the keys until... he's gone..."

Optimus nodded, but he gently pulled the seeker closer, "That is good to know. But that is not what I asked," he wanted to say his name, but didn't know how Starscream would react, "He must pay for every crime he has committed. Against us, against Earth, against Cybertron and against you. Please, Starscream..." he carefully squeezed the smaller mech's servo, "tell me what happened."

The seeker trembled harder and gripped back, tears flowing down his faceplate as he took a soft intake, "O-Optimus... h-he broke me..."

"It's been almost an hour," Smokescreen sighed.

Arcee shrugged, "The waiting is the hardest part. Let Optimus do his work. Starscream seems to trust him the most."

The white mech smiled, "Anyone could trust Optimus. A Prime's word is more valuable than any resource."

Knockout rolled his optics, "Screamer was so right, you're such a fan-bot."

Smokescreen frowned, "What's wrong with that? Optimus is amazing!"

The red mech sneered, "Well, if you really want to show your appreciation I can give you some tips."

Breakdown took hold of the red mech, turning him away from the group, "Do not take him up on that offer."

Ratchet went to scold the younger doctor angrily when the sound of pedfalls took him away from the situation; he turned to look back at the med bay, sighing in relief, "Optimus..." the Prime walked quietly from the med bay, Starscream following behind him, "Starscream... Optimus, how is he?"

Optimus smiled, keeping the seeker somewhat behind him, "We will discuss that momentarily. For now, I have been informed by two separate parties about the keys Starscream retrieved for us."

"The message from Alpha Trion?" Bulkhead asked quickly.

The Prime nodded, "It would seem the keys must be simultaneously used on a creation called the Omega Lock that is located on Cybertron. They have the power to revitalize our planet."

Ratchet felt his legs go weak; he trembled and glared at Starscream's hiding form, his voice shaking, "You knew... you knew, didn't you? We could've gone home. We could've rebuilt our home!"

Optimus put up a servo, "Easy, Ratchet. Yes, Starscream did know. But once... the Decepticons found out about the keys in the previous timeline, the Omega Lock was misused and sighted against Earth. And it had to be destroyed to save this planet. Starscream fears if we do not end the Decepticon threat before we use it, the Omega Lock could be lost again."

Ratchet growled quietly, flinching when Bulkhead moved to help balance him, "Fine... just fine..."

The Prime nodded, "Good," he looked down at the seeker, "Starscream, shall I?"

Starscream sighed softly and shook his helm, stepping forward, "He- ... Megatron," he winced.

The seeker froze up and looked away, crossing his arms.

Optimus smiled and gently set a servo on his shoulder plating to pull him back, "It would seem that Megatron's continuing spiral has enlisted the future aid of cortical psychic patches and other machinery to gain control over Starscream and his abilities, should we entertain the notion of allowing his capture. This does not mean we cannot prepare for this. Ratchet, Soundwave, Knockout: I will need the three of you to work diligently on a training regiment for all of us to combat the use of a cortical patch should any one of us be captured."

The mechs nodded, Soundwave perking up, "Request: acknowledged."

Starscream's optics wandered gently around the room and fell upon the Star Saber, the blade leaning against a wall in the room.

Optimus softly squeezed the seeker's shoulder but the smaller mech pulled away, walking towards it, "Starscream?"

Smokescreen frowned, "Hey, whoa, what do you think-"

Starscream growled quietly, "I have to know something."

The Prime held the white mech back instead as the seeker approached the Star Saber, hesitation in his frame as he came within inches of it. Starscream clenched his servos tightly, the agony of simply staring at the weapon becoming far more powerful than it should have been. What Megatron had said... what he had... implied. None of it could be true. He would have known. Through everything he had been through, through everything he had witnessed and done, through all the muck and grime and relics he had collected, he would have known. He would have known... wouldn't he?

Miko was leaning as far over the railing as she could, her voice a whisper as she tried to will the seeker to do what he knew he had to, "Do it, Screamer... Come on..."

Starscream hummed nervously and finally reached out, his digits scratching against the handle before his servo enclosed around it. The Star Saber stayed quiet.

Starscream released his grip and finally collapsed, a weak smile on his faceplates as he felt some of the others circle around him to help him up, "Thank Primus... just... Thank Primus..."