Important Information

"Blah" Speaking

::Blah:: comm. link

'Blah' bonded speech

'Blah' thinking

Astrosecond- 2.5 earth Seconds

Klik- 150 earth seconds/ 2.5 earth Minutes

Orn- 150 earth minutes/ 2.5 earth Hours

Joor- 60 earth hours/2.5 earth Days

Metacycle- 17.5 earth days/2.5 earth Weeks

Vorn- 10 earth weeks/2.5 earth months

Stellercycle-30 earth months/2.5 years

Breem-slang for a moment/minute.

Night Cycle: star down to star up

Day Cycle: Star up to star down

Authors Note: Firstly, I would like to extend a huge thank you to SunnySideofBlue for betaing this chapter. They've done an amazing job, and you should all go checkout SunnySideofBlue's stuff of A03.

Secondly, thank you to everyone who has reviewed. I've been struggling with this chapter and seeing those reviews really encouraged me to keep going.

Disclaimer: I own only my OC's, nothing else.

Drift looked out the window of their ship and finally allowed his lips to curl into a smile, his shoulders sagging as he released a long sigh from his vents. The Decepticon ship they had stolen shuddered and shook, one thruster popping and sputtering, but somehow still functioned. It had been pure luck that it had not blown up at takeoff, and Drift quietly held concerns that it would fall apart on re-entry.

Pressing his hand to the cool glass of the window, the Autobot clenched his jaw and tried not to grind his denta at the sight of the little blue and green world; fear and excitement swirled in his tanks, and he was certain his anxiety was going to be the end of him.

They were almost three vorns late, without communication, but they had finally made it to Optimus's rendezvous point, and where the current Autobot command was stationed. It had been a long, difficult road to get here, but they would finally reunite with the rest of the Autobots on this strange organic world.

Drift glanced down at his white and red armor and frowned, that little ball of anxious lead feeling heavier in his tanks at the sight of himself. His armor was dented, damaged, and looked more grey than white with the amount of grime that coated him. There was no operational washrack on the Floating Stars – the ship had been in for repairs when they borrowed it, after all – and Drift had been less surprised and annoyed by this than the others.

He usually didn't mind being dirty; as a former Decepticon he was a little more used to dealing with unpleasant situations and less than necessary hygienic needs, but he was going to be seeing Perceptor soon. He wanted to be presentable, at the very least.

Behind him a mech clasped his shoulder and Kup squeezed in beside him to look out at the planet. "Stop fretting, kid," Kup gentled. "He's gonna be happy ta see ya."

Drift's dented and dirty helm tilted to look at Kup and the older mech's offered smile. "It's been a long time." He rasped, damage to his throat that had not been repaired yet making it difficult to talk. "What if he's moved on?"

Kup snorted. "Please. That mech loves ya and would wait far longer than ah couple of vorns for ya ta come home."

Drift managed a comforted smile, but didn't quite believe it himself.

"Besides!" it was Hot Rod who pouted from behind them, piloting them towards the planet. "We're in a 'Con ship with damaged communications. Prime is probably gonna blow us outta the sky before we even get within the atmosphere."

Twin Twist snorted. "What a way to go. Friendly fire."

Drift frowned at his team, disheartened, shifting his stance and cringing at the grime that scraped against his cables. They weren't….wrong.

Kup barked a laugh. "Oh younglings. Ya think this is tha first time this has happened?"

"No." Roadbuster yawned behind them, his massive frame packed tightly in a too small space. "This happened before on Yarmin 5." His massive shoulders scraped the roof of the small ship every time he so much as shifted, now leaving the tops of his shoulders bare of any paint.

"That's right!" Kup barked. "That's why it's standard procedure to not shoot ships outta the sky. Don't know if it's one of yur own."

Hot Rod rolled his optics. "So how do we confirm that it is us? This ship doesn't have enough juice to land efficiently, if we can land at all it's going to be a rough landing. I would rather not have the rescue party come guns blazing."

Kup laughed again. "Drift, think you can get a message to that mate of yours?"

Pausing, Drift gave a little nod. "Think so. Still too far right now, but I'll start reaching out as soon as we're closer to the planet."

Kup nodded. "Good! Ready to be off this tin can and back into the thick of it! Hope Prime hasn't won the war yet!"

"Yeah, cuz that'd be a shame if he did," Hot Rod groused, homing in on the Ark's signature.

Drift shook his helm at Kup's laughter and quietly fretted about what to tell Perceptor when he saw him. The mech quietly wished Sunstreaker had been with them, then at least he would be clean when he saw him.

Mia fought to stay stone-faced as she was carried down the halls of the Nemesis. She tried to channel her rage into the cold indifference Starscream could pull off so easily. She was mostly successful, but she couldn't stop the grinding of her teeth every time Ramjet so much as made a noise.

The night prior had been a long one, and Mia had talked Starscream through the majority of his panic and fear. She talked until her throat went hoarse and sore, and even then she kept talking to him. Even when she was sure she tasted blood at the back of her throat, she kept on talking in a gentle, soft voice. Each time she finished one story the Seeker would ask for another, keeping his mind from the walls that enclosed him and the water that dripped from overhead.

She told stories until Ramjet returned to drag Starscream from his cell. Mia had frozen and remained tiny and unseen as the white Seeker opened the door, expecting Starscream to be a quivering mess.

The smirk that fell from Ramjet's face and was replaced with sheer disbelief had been worth Mia's voice when Starscream had pushed himself from the Hole, shaky with blood loss but his mind intact. The tri-colored seeker had glared coldly at his former subordinate before a sly smirk replaced the coldness and Starscream offered his mangled servos to Ramjet in surrender.

Ramjet's servos had shaken as he took Starscream back to their cell, making Mia grin the whole time as she followed along behind them. Starscream slowed his walk, wobbling into Ramjet to slow him down to allow Mia to keep up with them, even on her broken leg. The tricky part had been when they arrived back to their cell, but when the door opened Starscream had bought her enough time for her to slip back inside as though she had never left.

Ramjet had shoved Starscream into the cell and fled quickly, muttering about his crazy air commander who wasn't bothered by the Hole. Only when they were sure they were alone did Starscream let himself to collapse to the floor of their cell and allowed Mia to drag herself to him and curl up next to his cheek.

They had lain shaking and trembling on the floor of the cell, clinging as best they could to each other, Starscream's broken Thank you repeated over and over again until recharge finally took him. Mia had stayed awake as long as she could to guard him, but eventually a fitful sleep claimed her as well.

When she woke up, she had been cradled in Starscream's hand with a dim crimson optic staring down at her. There had been a half smile on his face and it had been the softest look she had ever seen him direct at her

Mia couldn't help but smile back.

"Thanks." Starscream had rasped, for once not throwing biting sarcasm at her.

Nodding, the redhead's smile widened as she slowly pushed herself to a sitting position. "Welcome."

Starscream shook his helm at the crazy little human and a comforting silence settled between them. Something had changed between them after the Hole, a bond that neither wanted to try to explain. Starscream had been calmer. Steadier. Ready for when they came for them again. He didn't seem to…hate her anymore.

Mia had seen him at his worst, at his weakest and didn't judge him based on that. She didn't think Starscream to be pathetic or a waste, and had put herself in jeopardy to ensure his mind stayed intact. Starscream should have found himself uncomfortable with that fact, but instead felt himself accepting of the idea that maybe others didn't have to hate him. That not everybody wanted something from him, that maybe even a small human like Mia could simply…like him.

He'd snorted at the sappiness of it all and settled more comfortably against the wall.

Mia was sure they had won that round. Starscream hadn't broken, and if they could only hang on a few more days the Autobot's would come looking for them. Her sisters would come looking. Optimus would come looking.

They just had to hang on.

That was what Mia kept thinking to herself as Ramjet carried her, just hand on a little longer. They just had to last.

Fighting with herself to not look over her shoulder to check up on Starscream, Mia huffed with fake indifference and crossed her arms. She put her nose up in the air and tried to ignore the Decepticon that kept casting her dirty looks.

Starscream watched Mia from over Ramjet's shoulder, and despite his cold face he bristled with pride. Mia wasn't crying this time, she looked annoyed if anything. She looked cold and angry, and she could use that. The night before had been a surprise for both of them, Starscream couldn't believe she had found him in the Hole, that she walked on that broken leg, showed grit he didn't think her capable of.

They had spent the morning quietly talking, planning their survival mostly, although for Starscream it was mostly to entertain Mia. He still wasn't convinced he was going to survive, but it kept Mia busy until the coneheads came to retrieve them.

"We're going to kill him." Ramjet mock whispered to Mia, red optics glancing behind him to smirk at Starscream.

Rolling his optics, Starscream huffed at Ramjet, more concerned for his ruined servos and cracked tank than Ramjet's threats.

Mia didn't rise to the bait. She mimicked Starscream's huff and sat herself a little taller and tilted her face away. The seeker could see her irritated expression, carefully set. There was still a flicker of fear in her eyes, but her fear didn't control her, she controlled it.

"Seriously, I'm going to rip his wings off. Pull his internals out and make him eat his own fuel pump." Ramjet mocked, mouth curling into a smirk.

Mia's face went red with anger, darkening and becoming mulish. Starscream could see her bite her own tongue to stay silent, and he willed her to stay quiet.

"I'm gonna hurt him little fleshling. I'm going to make him scream before I kill him."

Mia's darkened face finally turned up to Ramjet, looking very unimpressed and that twisted thing in her chest throbbed painfully. Starscream watched as she feinted confusion and innocents. "But wouldn't that be Megatron's honor? You wouldn't want to take that from him, would you?"

Starscream sucked in a vent and his crimson optic went bright with panic and he tensed to stop Ramjet from killing her. Fear he had only previously felt for his trine mates filled him, and his head snapped towards Ramjet to gage his reaction.

Ramjet seemed to have that particular thought, and he raised his other hand over her, as though to slap his hands together to turn her into a red smear. She looked up at him with not quite a smirk. "Careful now. My death also belongs to Megatron." Then she smiled brightly up at him, at his shocked face with a careful innocents that Starscream was sure is what made her useful as a car thief.

Ramjet's sneered at her and dropped his hand back to his side. Mia looked away from Ramjet, eyes catching Starscream's optics. He shot her a look, optic flashing. She seemed to get the message and gave him a little nod. Don't draw attention to yourself! Be quiet.

Don't get over confident.

Starscream was panting softly by the time they had reached their destination from the distance he had been forced to walk to the war room, his strength fading faster and faster. Pain shot up his side from the crack in his tank and up his arms from his ruined hands. His one optic sparked and made his vision swim, making him feel sick, but he refused to let it show. His vents were still wet and his one functioning optic was dim and fading to white.

Despite all that, Mia had kept his mind intact after the Hole and he felt more prepared to cope with whatever Megatron would throw at them. He felt saner then he ever had while on Nemesis, and that was all thanks to Mia.

Starscream felt a strange calmness flow through him as they were marched into the war room. Mia was roughly dropped onto the table and she hissed through her teeth as pain shot up her damaged leg. Tears sprung to her eyes when she landed and she fought the nausea caused by the pain as her legs gave out. Her fingers curled into the metal of the table as she fought to control her breathing and swallowed back the bile.

Starscream's pedes were kicked out from under him and he hit the ground with a grunt as Megatron strode into the war room with a smirk. A pair of shackles were cuffed uncomfortably around his wrists keeping his arms pinned painfully behind him. He glanced uncertainly to Mia on the table, worried that she was still curled up in her ball of pain. Ramjet attached a thick chain to his shackles that kept him pinned to the ground, and it was short enough to keep him on his knees. Unable to stand or defend himself from the coming attack.

A dim red optic tore from Mia to glare up at Megatron from under his helm as the titan strode around the bound seeker, Megatron frowning at Starscream. His massive grey helm tilted to one side as he examined Starscream's position, making a small noise of uncertainty.

"You should be a quivering, frightened mess." Megatron mused as he took another step closer to Starscream. He gave a little, unexpected sigh of disappointment. "Perhaps your little pet is making you think you will get to leave the Nemesis. I assure you, you will not leave by your own accord." Another step brought him within a hair's width from the seeker, and it took everything in Starscream to not flinch away.

"You have disappointed me, Starscream." Megatron said softly, a massive hand reaching out to gently pet the side of Starscream's cheek. The seeker didn't dare move as a thumb gently stroked over the living silicone of his face, softly as though they were lovers.

Starscream swallowed hard. He remembered this game and knew what was coming next and he wished Mia had been left behind in their cell.

Megatron moved suddenly, fist making contact with the side of Starscream's jaw and sent him almost to the floor. Blood energon spewed from his mouth as his head snapped to the side with the blow, and he didn't allow himself to fight it, moving with the hit and trying to lessen the damage. Starscream was only vaguely aware of Mia's sharp scream as stars burst behind his optics.

Slowly rolling his helm back around to face Megatron, Starscream spat a clot of energon to the floor between them, crimson optic glaring. "I remember you used to hit harder." he managed with a smirk.

The second blow did not come as much a surprise, and it snapped his head in the other direction with a crack, his damaged optic finally shattering in crimson shards that tinged softly on the metal decking.

"I stand by my previous observation." He smirked as he rolled his head back towards Megatron, one optic still bright and devious despite the pain. Mia swallowed hard and forced herself to relax despite the anxious ball in her belly. Blood energon poured from the cut in Starscream's mouth, smearing his chin and cheek in purple.

Megatron scoffed, his field rippling with rage and impatience. The ball of fear in Starscream's chest tightened and felt like lead despite the defiant look as Megatron wrapped his hand around the seeker's throat. "I know how to hurt you Starscream. I know how to break you. This time however?" the titan shook his head, a predatory smirk crawling across his mouth. "This time you won't pull yourself back together."

Starscream wheezed and hissed at the pressure at his throat, but still managed a few words as his side vents and pectoral vents heaved wetly. "Promises, promises."

Face darkening and contorting in anger, Megatron tsk'ed and shoved Starscream away from him and straightened. "You never shut up." He snarled and his foot shot out, heel slamming into Starscream's nasal structure.

There was a sickening crack as the seeker's nose broke and the impact sent him awkwardly onto his back, forcing his arms to realign themselves as he fell and his legs to fold painfully under him. Starscream coughed up more energon as he struggled to get back up unsuccessfully.

Mia swallowed back the little gasp, her hands slapping over her mouth to hide her shock as she watched Starscream groan, seeming to be having trouble getting his limbs to cooperate with him. Megaton snarled when the seeker managed to get up to a single elbow and the larger Decepticon moved to hoover over him, shoving him back down and roughly grabbed at a white calf and pulled. Starscream's leg came out from under him and Megatron readjusted his grip to hang onto the back of the seeker's knee.

Starscream's helm spun a little and he tried to pull his leg back from Megatron's firm grip as the titan pulled the seeker's other leg out from under him with a jerking yank. Pushing his legs apart, Megatron forced his way between them and Starscream felt a cold, familiar sensation trickle down his spinal struts.

"No!" he spat and struggled weakly against the titans hold, fear driving him on even though his processor felt sluggish from the blow.

Megatron smiled. "I thought this would wake you up." Claws like razors, the same claws that ripped away Onslaught's interface panel did the same to Starscream. It was brutal and quick, tearing the living metal from his frame. Fear dulled the pain and Starscream didn't bother reacting. Like Onslaught before him, Starscream knew something far more painful awaited him.

A crimson optic flickered to Mia and found her frozen on her knees, her face pale and her eyes bright with horror and helpless rage. That broken thing, that lump in her chest that ached behind her breast bone never to go back to where it had been before, throbbed.

The remainder of this scene has been removed for not meeting Fan fictions rules. If you would like to read the remainder of this chapter it can be found on Archive of Our own under the same pen name, AcidGreenFlames.

Still as she could be, Mia didn't dare move anything besides her eyes, tracking the Cybertronians' movement across the war room. She didn't dare make a noise until the door swished shut and she was plunged into darkness. Alone and forgotten on the table with only the blood energon that Starscream had shed.

Her bottom lip finally trembled and horror filled her chest. Bile role from her belly and she scrambled for the edge of the table as she felt what little food she had been given coming up. Vomit splashed to the floor so far below, yellow and thin. She coughed hard, spitting to the floor plates below and a broken sob rattled from her chest.

Disgusted by what had been done to Starscream, the way he had been hurt and abused, Mia felt her helplessness fill her. They…she vomited again, the yellow bile splashing to the ground in a pool. Starscream had been raped. Her friend had suffered so greatly, had been abused and left bleeding. Megatron had ensured the seeker's humiliation by making his charge bear witness to his pain. They had done horrific things to him, and they were going to…

"NO!" Mia hissed, despite the bitterness in her mouth and the hurt in her heart. She pushed herself away from the edge with a grunt and glared towards the door.

She may not be as brave as Danny or as smart as Callie, but Mia was more than just a pretty face. She may not be as smart or as brave, but that twisted thing in her chest felt like razor wire. Determination filled her, and she would find a way home.

"I'm going to kill him." She hissed to herself, two tears slipping past her clenched eye lids to fall onto her hand.

Furious green eyes snapped open, and rage filled her. She had to figure out how to get from this table and find her way to Starscream. Somehow. Someway, she would find her way to him and help keep him mind intact.

It was the least she could do.

It was all she could do.

"How?" she wondered out loud to herself, crawling to the edge of the table and looking down at the chair that seemed so far away. Glancing to her broken leg, Mia grit her teeth. How was she going to get down?

It never dawned on her how much she had changed. How much she had hardened since they had been captured by Megatron.

She flinched as the door opened, and a dark shadow covered her. She turned to glare at the mech's that stood over her, shoulders hunched up around her ears. Green eyes narrowed and a dark, mulish look contorted her face. "Who the hell are you?" she spat, despite the uncertainty.

Red Alert hurried down the halls of the Ark, bumping into other mechs in his haste, barley stepping over humans as he almost ran. He wouldn't do something as basic as running, that was beneath him most of the time, but today, he was pretty close.

It wasn't every day that Prime called him to the command deck. Something was happening. Something bad.

He zipped around a corner, bumping into Ironhide in his rush, only to quickly blow past him and his grunting. Red Alert made an annoyed noise as he picked up speed, arriving at Optimus's control center much later then he intended. He slipped inside the room even before the door had fully pulled open and hurried over to the waiting mechs.

Optimus Prime and Prowl stood before a table, looking at a human map. Epps was on the table, hands on his hips and frowning.

Prime glanced up and nodded. "Red Alert," he greeted politely. "We are waiting for Ironhide to join us."

Bouncing on his toes, Red Alert nodded, nerves making his audial struts spark a little. "Yes Sir."

"Donna bother wait'n on meh. Ah'm here." Ironhide smirked as he strode calmly into the room, taking his place on Optimus's other side.

Red Alert gave Ironhide a dirty look that was met with a confident smirk as the large red mech eased himself next to the Prime. "Gotta be quick Prime, I'mma late fer a tea date."

Epps snorted and gave the weapons master a grin. "Do you have to put your pinky up 'Hide?"

Ironhide snorted. "I don' do anything by halfs, Epps. 'Course Ah lift mah pinky. Wadda think Ah am?"

Epps laughed. "Wrapped firmly around the fingers of two little girls."

Blue optics rolled. "Whatever." Large red arms crossed over his chest. "Those kids are cute." His voice grew a little smaller. "An' Ah promised 'Warp that'd Ah keep an optic on Lucy.

Epps laughed again, to which Prowl cleared his throat. "Gentlemen? We do have important matters to discuss."

Still smirking, both Ironhide and Epps turned their attention back to Prime and Prowl, relaxing their stances.

Prowl's wings were still high, his shoulders and tense with worry. "We've detected an incoming ship heading for Earth. It's a small Decepticon mining vehicle coming from the Hecate Galaxy. We are still too far for radio contact so we cannot confirm whether its cargo is Decepticon or Autobot."

Red Alert frowned. "The Wreckers were last heard of in the Hecate Galaxy. Could be them? It wouldn't be the first time they've had to steal a ship to come home."

Prowl looked worried, but Optimus nodded. "It could be. I hope it is. They've been gone too long. We'll need to let Ratchet know to expect injuries."

"This could also be a trap." Prowl said suddenly. "We do not know for sure that it is the Wreckers, and with most of our forces out on a training mission we would be at a severe disadvantage."

"Maybe we need to call them back?" Epps suggested, frowning.

Prowl frowned and considered it. "Perhaps." He said slowly. "They do need that training however. It is beneficial. I believe it would make more sense to put the base on high alert until we can determine if the incoming space craft is friendly or not."

Optimus nodded. It made sense logically, but something tugged at him. Something felt …off. Like a pressure in his chest, right next to the Matrix. He thought that maybe, perhaps, they should call the troops back. Something just didn't feel right.

Heaving a sigh, Optimus nodded and pushed his uncertainty away. "Put the base on high alert. I want everyone ready to move in the event the ship carrying new Decepticons or wounded Autobots. Let's be ready for anything."

His command staff nodded, and it still just didn't feel like the right thing to do despite being the most logical. Maybe, Optimus thought, they should bring everyone back in from the field. It wouldn't take much, a quick radio out to the troops, get everyone's location and have them return.

He quickly pushed that thought away, and focused on the task at hand.