8. Choice

The orn after Thundercracker's and Skywarp's arrival, Starscream dragged them off to the washracks for a thorough cleansing. Optimus put in a word with Ratchet and the medic came, grumbling but businesslike. Thundercracker was better off than Skywarp, for the most part, but upon scanning his CPU Ratchet found several glitches and viruses requiring deletion. Skywarp was functional, but Ratchet insisted on undoing his sloppy patch-jobs to repair him properly.

I set about getting to know Starscream's wingmates.

Thundercracker was the largest of the trine. His optics had none of Starscream's orange tint and none of Skywarp's violet tinge. Facially, he was nearly identical to Skywarp. He was the quietest in voice, but this made him no less noticeable and no less intimidating. His flight engines made up for it with their deep rumble.

He was also the most even-tempered of the three. He kept his mouth shut most of the time, preferring to chase ideas around in his processor for a while before speaking. He shared Starscream's habit of watching me oddly, considering, puzzling, trying to fit pieces together.

Skywarp was loud and boisterous. He had a wicked sense of humor and a propensity for pranks that got him into trouble more often than not, forcing me to step in when he went too far. Since he was my slave, he was my responsibility. Though he strained my temper sometimes, I liked Skywarp. He claimed his tricks were his way of showing affection.

Besides Optimus, most Autobots disapproved of my actions. The hostility towards me increased, though it was usually kept behind a thin veil of courtesy.

"The Senate overlooked the infraction of the slave code for my sake, on condition that there would be no trouble," Optimus cautioned us. "If any of you commits a crime, there could be serious repercussions." Here he looked pointedly at me. "For all of you."

I had no intention of causing trouble and jeopardizing the trine. They had the right to be together; no Senate on this or any planet had the right to separate them.

Did the Senate have the right to limit altmodes, to stop Seekers from flying, to enslave their fellow mechs and silence their protests? How were Prime and I the only Autobots who seemed to realize this? Why did nobody do anything about it?

Well, I was prepared to do something. I'd thought long and hard about the consequences. I was ready.

I approached Starscream in his quarters, on his terms. He would feel more secure here, more likely to trust me.

"Starscream… do you have a cycle?"

"I always have time for my master," he said blandly. "What is it?"

"You're planning something," I said.

"What makes you say that?

"You're building weapons. You and your wingmates are always discussing something. You've already tried to get me on your side."

Starscream smirked. "Is it that obvious?"

"I know you." I leaned forward. "If the Decepticons are planning some kind of uprising…"

"You're in dangerous territory."

"I know. But unless it's organized, it'll never fly. You must have a leader. The Autobots can't have completely destroyed the chain of command. Someone left over from the hierarchy during the War, one of Megatron's command team, surely the rest would turn to him as their leader. I want to talk to him."

Starscream crossed his legs and laced his fingers together, never taking his optics from me.

"Why?" he asked finally.

"Because I want to help," I answered. Surprise flitted across his face.

"Why?" he asked again.

"Because we're all Cybertronian." I was echoing Optimus and knew it. "Autobots, Decepticons, we're the same. If things really were as bad as you say, or if the Decepticons just fought for the sake of fighting, that's no excuse for what's happening now. It's wrong. Prime's done all he can to solve this without more fighting, but the Senate won't listen to talk. He can't just ask them to stop hating and expect everything to be fine. It would be wonderful if the world worked the way Prime does, if the Autobots actually held to their ideals and did the right thing. But it doesn't, and they don't. We can't resolve this by sitting back and waiting for Primus to descend from the Matrix and set things right. We need to act. If fighting is the only way to make them see, then... we'll fight."

A faint smile hovered on Starscream's mouthplates when I finished.

"We?"

That made me freeze, my Spark skipping a pulse or two. We. Not them, we. With that one tiny choice of words, I'd cast my lot in with the Decepticons.

I cycled an intake. Rather than try to speak again, I nodded.

Starscream's smile widened. "Well," he said. "I hadn't expected a speech. It reminded me of someone else." He laughed, then leaned back, the very picture of relaxation. "I'm listening. Talk away."

It took me a moment to catch up. "What?"

He heaved a patient sigh. "You said you wanted to talk to the leader of the Decepticons. I'm listening."

I gaped. "Y-you?"

"Why such a surprise?" he asked irritably. "You don't think I could do it?"

"No, but… you?!"

He laughed at my incomprehension. "Yes, me. I was Megatron's second-in-command. When he was terminated, I became commander of the Decepticons. That's why they gave me to Prime: only fitting that the highest-ranking 'con should be under the watchful optics of the highest-ranking 'bot. And then he gave me to you. And catering to your whims while trying to run a war is no picnic on the energon farm, trust me."

"I thought the War was over."

He smiled darkly. "As long as the Autobots believe in their superiority over Decepticons, this war will never end."

"How do things stand?"

I'd heard of a slave escaping from time to time, but not in the numbers that Starscream described. Evidently, there was a network of Neutral settlements and hidden caves, a "path" of sorts that traveled to Kaon. The city had been nearly demolished and was still frequented by Autobot patrols, but it had a vast system of underground streets and tunnels. It was here that the remnants of the Decepticons gathered after the defeat at Axis. They waited now, gathering their strength. They were ready, Starscream said… ready to rise against the Autobots.

"What are they waiting for?" I asked. "You?"

He chuckled humorlessly. "Not for me. For a sign."

I couldn't help my dubious look. "A sign? What, you mean, a sign from Primus or something?"

He shuttered his optics for a moment in exasperation. "Why do you think nobody tried rising against the Autobots before Megatron? He was a sign that the time was right. He made them bold, stirred them up. He inspired them. They fought for him to the bitter end… they would fight for him again in a nano-klik." He smirked wryly. "But let's talk about you."

Starscream leaned forward, optics burning intently. "If you're serious about this," he said quietly, "then I have to tell you. I'm bound to protect you. It's going to be difficult to lead as I have to if you're in danger. And the moment someone finds out, however they do, sooner or later, that you're a Decepticon or a Decepticon sympathizer… they won't be picky… you're fair game for slavery. It's in the Axis Decree. I need to be certain that you can take care of yourself."

"Teach me to fight and you'll have less to worry about," I answered. "I'm ready."

"Good. There's just one more thing," he said. "I trust you… mostly… but I need you to take the Decepticon Oath."

"No," I said.

"I can't risk you betraying us."

I faced him down, unrelenting. "I want the Decepticons to be free, and I am ready to fight for that cause. But I won't swear allegiance to you or any leader. You saw what happened to Megatron: he lost sight of his goal. If that happens to you, I won't be sworn to follow you down that path."

He was silent, considering me. Then, he vented air. "Fine. You want to help. Then we'll see what you can do for us…"