ERRORS IN JUDGEMENT OF THE PERSONAL KIND

Part Two

When Starscream regained consciousness, he immediately recognized the stark confines of a common room for prisoners all about him. He'd been in many such rooms in the past. The difference back then was that he'd always been the captor gloating over his hapless captives, the brave captain of the High Guard making good on his duty to protect Cybertron and rid its capital city of all sorts of criminals and miscreants. Never had he thought that he'd be the one lying bound and helpless on the floor in their stead.

He wasn't the only prisoner either. From his uncomfortable perspective he could see many others nearby, other High Guard fliers mostly, but then he caught a flash of solid silver. It was D-16, not looking quite so victorious anymore, and Starscream found a moment of mean pleasure in that. The other bot was just coming back online and was still struggling hard, testing his bindings. Starscream watched him, his pleasure waning. He knew that D-16's efforts were futile.

Starscream let his head sag back down and closed his eyes. He was feeling very low. All the years of running and hiding and the constant scrabble for existence on the surface had worn him down. And then his humiliating defeat on top of that. It was almost enough for him to welcome death, for death was surely what he and the others would receive. Would Sentinel himself preside over their executions, making a public spectacle of their demise? Of course he would. Sentinel had always loved ostentatious displays.

The acid bile of repressed rage and hatred rose up within Starscream as he continued thinking about Sentinel. The false Prime was the source of the worst miscalculation Starscream had ever made, far worse than what had happened with D-16, for Sentinel had broken his spark. But then Sentinel had fooled everyone. Not a single other bot had ever suspected that he was anything but genuine.

Starscream still remembered every detail of their first encounter. He'd been tasked to attend another one of those dreary parties which the politicos loved to throw, where there'd be lots of self-congratulatory posing and preening and no real conversation about things which really mattered at all. This one promised to be exceptionally dull because Starscream would be the only military commander of note on the guest list. A small part of him knew he'd enjoy the admiration and flattery, but honestly, a good holographic projection of himself would have sufficed, given the lack of any interesting interaction he was expecting.

He'd noticed the newcomer at once, a tall blue and gold bot with wings, an oddity amongst pedestrian ranks. He was standing with several of the Primes, or rather, standing by. He had that respectful, attentive air of an aide about him. Then he'd turned his head, spotted Starscream on the other side of the room, and their eyes met.

Starscream felt a little jog deep within. An arresting face, broad and handsome and sporting a neat short beard, another oddity given its owner's apparent youth. He maintained their gaze until one of the Primes evidently asked something of him, then he became all business again. Starscream started breathing hard. Until that moment, he hadn't realized that he'd been holding his breath.

Eventually, Starscream made his way over to where the Primes were holding court. Megatronus Prime was the first to notice him, but then he'd always held an affection for those who fought for Cybertron.

When he saw that Starscream and Sentinel were glancing curiously at one another, he took it upon himself to make the introductions.

"This is Commander Starscream, captain of our High Guard and advisor to our Air Command," he'd said politely. "And this is Sentinel, newly returned from one of our outer posts. You'll be seeing a good deal more of him now that he's been reassigned to our inner staff."

Sentinel… A good name, Starscream thought. They shook hands under Megatronus's approving eyes. Starscream again felt a little jolt when their hands clasped. Sentinel's grip was strong and his smile charming. When they broke their handshake, his fingers lingered.

Starscream excused himself after that to continue circulating while Sentinel stayed with the Primes. Just as well. A fluttery fever had ignited Starscream's body and he needed time to compose himself.

He avoided looking Sentinel's way for the remainder of the evening. It wasn't until he was raiding the refreshments table for the umpteenth time, one of the few benefits of attending such events, the chance to stuff oneself with delicacies, that he felt a sudden presence at his side and knew without looking that it was Sentinel.

He leaned over to whisper in Starscream's ear. "My quarters are nearby," he murmured. "If you want to quit this muckety-muck strokefest as much as I do, make your farewells, then come find me by the elevators."

And off he went again. Starscream watched him speak briefly with two of the Primes, bowing and ducking his head in deference once excused. Starscream roused himself and soon made his own exit. He strode quickly to the elevator foyer.

Sentinel was there, pacing back and forth. When he saw Starscream coming, he flashed a smile as brilliant as his beautiful eyes and Starscream smiled back. Neither of them said a word throughout the short trip which followed. The tension between them thrummed and sang, speaking for them.

As soon as Sentinel got Starscream inside his apartment, he whirled and pinned him against the newly shut door and kissed him hard. They began side-stepping like a pair of drunks trying to stay on their feet, pawing at each other's bodies, teeth clashing as they sought for deeper access. At last Sentinel managed to steer them to a high-backed couch, where he collapsed and pulled Starscream down on top of his lap. They aligned their chests and interfaced instantly.

Both gasped as the energy leapt and flowed between them. It was always so at first, that initial intrusion, that sense of otherness invading one's self before their sparks relented and accommodated the alien presence. Sometimes that accommodation remained grudging. Not all individuals meshed well, a disappointment when those involved were otherwise compatible. But more often there'd be a degree of merging, their energy fields overlapping and blending, sensitizing their bodies and allowing each to feel the other's pleasure. The better the alignment, the more enjoyable the joining. At its best, interfacing could be a sublime experience, as close an act of intimacy as was possible between two separate beings.

Starscream and Sentinel aligned superbly and were left spent, a little dazed, and blissfully satisfied. It wasn't until the last of their shared energy was retreating and the afterglow fading that one of them finally spoke.

"That went well," Sentinel remarked.

Starscream snorted. "Very well."

Sentinel's hands were still idly fondling Starscream's wings and the flier found himself loathe to leave his comfortable position. It helped that they were of similar configuration and fit together so nicely in one another's arms.

"So… Interested in doing this again?" asked Sentinel, and that had been the start of it, the beginning of the happiest period in Starscream's life.

He was a little surprised at himself, at first. Starscream was used to being the one who picked and chose, the aggressor. He knew that a lot of bots desired him and he turned a lot of them away. Yet Sentinel's advances…he always welcomed those. It was no occasional thing for his persistent suitor either. He wanted a relationship. Starscream had never imagined that he'd be attracted to someone who worked for the government, who was an executive aide and a courier. But Sentinel, he was different. He wasn't stuffy or needlessly officious at all. He even found a certain wry humour in his own position and his glib, sarcastic comments, even about the Primes themselves, made Starscream laugh. The two of them were soon seeing each other exclusively.

They made a good couple, the oh-so-elegant, striking aide and the equally handsome High Guard captain with his beautifully streamlined body. Sentinel seemed proud to be seen with Starscream and the flier grew to enjoy indulging his desire to drag him to the rarified gatherings and parties he was often obligated to attend. "I'd be bored stiff if you weren't here," Sentinel would whisper naughtily as they made their rounds, and he would always introduce Starscream as a friend: "This is my friend, Starscream…" he would begin. Then he'd let everyone know that he was much more by aiming telling little glances at him and sometimes letting his hand brush over the edge of one of Starscream's wings, a gesture which, in a social setting, always alluded to intimacy and which only a lover would tolerate. Starscream liked for the others to know that he was Sentinel's lover. It stoked his warrior's instincts to flaunt the gorgeous bot who was all his and his alone.

In exchange for Sentinel's invitations, Starscream tried to show him something of his own world. It was difficult to find suitable opportunities. The Quintessons were a constant threat and he needed to save his flight time for patrolling and training. But occasionally they were able to coordinate their schedules and fly together. Sentinel's aerial alt was unsuited for combat and his wings were only courier wings. Still, they made do and Starscream enjoyed showing off his speed and prowess at aerobatics and would fly rings around an admiring Sentinel before throttling back to rejoin the slower jet.

They talked about all sorts of more mundane issues beyond their working lives too. Once, while snuggled against Sentinel during one of their evenings in, Starscream couldn't help tugging on the other's short beard.

"Why'd you even have this installed?" he asked. "It gets in the way sometimes, you know. When I'm wanting to make out with you."

"Oh, I did it so I'd look a little older," Sentinel explained readily. "Those old farts I work for…unless you look a million years old yourself, they don't want to take you seriously." He reached for Starscream's face and pinched his cheek with equal playfulness. "Something you've had trouble with yourself, I wager. Except you were too pretty. The pretty-boy flier."

Starscream chuckled. "I might have had to crack a few heads back then over that, yes," he admitted. "It's all right now, though. I got a little more battle-worn."

Sentinel stroked a finger over the pale smooth cheek he'd just pinched.

"Yes, you look mature now. Handsome." He slid a gentle hand further in behind Starscream's neck. "Perfect," he concluded softly before coaxing his lover's perfect face in closer to his own to demonstrate just how negligible having a distracting beard could be if one adopted just the right angle of approach.

Despite his sometimes caustic complaints, Sentinel's star was rising and he frequently underwent upgrades to improve his abilities in tandem with his promotions. Most were hidden—a greater capacity for information storage, better resolution in the images he could self-project—yet occasionally Starscream would notice some slight difference in his appearance. Then came the day when he received a message from his lover urging him to come by Sentinel's apartment as soon as he could, he had something important to show him. His curiosity piqued, Starscream wasted no time clearing what was required of him at work that day and was able to get away quite early.

What Sentinel wanted him to see was a bit of a shocker. The blue and gold bot had always stood slightly taller than Starscream. Now he had to look up at him. The same sleek beautiful body, just a lot more of it.

"What's this?" Starscream exclaimed, still a little astonished.

"Do you like it?" Sentinel actually twirled around to show himself off. Starscream noted his wings the most. They looked…thicker, better plated. And was that the peek of a new cannon he saw? As if reading his mind, Sentinel's next words were, "I might even be able to hold my own in a dogfight with you now. They upgraded my alt mode the most. I'm not just a courier jet anymore. And I've been taking combat lessons too! I've gotten quite good."

His enthusiasm was infectious. Starscream began smiling as he continued looking the new Sentinel over. "I like it," he pronounced. "Only—why? Do they expect you to be a bodyguard too?"

Sentinel just laughed. "No! It's still the same old position, executive assistant now. I just need to be able to look after myself better on my own, defend myself. Some of the intel missions I've been going on, it's better if I can go alone."

"All right. Makes sense. I didn't realize your job was getting so dangerous, though. What happened to just shuffling papers and listening to your old farts drone on?"

"That's in the past now, thank Primus. Now that I've got my upgrade, I'll be spending more time afield."

"Not too much time, I hope. I'd still like to see you from time to time. Even if I do need a ladder now to kiss you."

That just prompted another hearty laugh. "Don't be silly," Sentinel said, then stepped over to Starscream and dropped down on one knee. He nuzzled the flier's throat and slid a hand over his lightly armoured side. Anyone else touching such a vulnerable area would have triggered Starscream to flinch and swat the hand away with an angry, "Get off me!" But because it was Sentinel, he just leaned into it, then put his own arms around him to begin his exploration of all the lovely new contours of his enhanced body.

It was even better when they interfaced and Sentinel's augmented vitality and power poured into him like a torrent, intensifying everything all over again, as if it were the first time. They clung to each other throughout, wrung and ecstatic, and when the two of them came out of it later, giddily decided that Sentinel's upgrade must have enhanced his passions too. The best kind of unexpected side effect, in short.

It was only a month after that before Sentinel betrayed them all.

to be continued...