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The High Aerie of Vos was ever grander as Winglords came and went, most rebuilding it, many adding to it, some building a completely new, grander, taller, more elaborate than the last and giving away the previous seat of power to the next highest ranking nobles. As a result, the Winglord’s Aerie in Vos had always been the most opulent, most breathtaking single edifice on Cybertron, surpassing easily its only contender, the more traditional, therefore less changing seat of power in Iacon - the Primal Palace. If Seekers were asked, a grounder palace could never match the High Aerie, and if Iaconians were asked, nothing could compare to the Primal Palace-Grand Temple-Main Arena trinity - but as far as the rest of Cybertron was concerned, the Winglord’s tower was beating its rival in its sheer defiance of gravity, physics and engineering. In precious metals, crystals, materials and artifacts from all over the empire, it was the Primes who could claim the first place, but those rarely showed up in planetary newscasts, while the Winglord’s Aerie had always been a frequent subject in those and consequently much more known.
Therefore, Starscream’s newly built Aerie was naturally taller, larger and more opulent than any before, incorporating engineering marvels as well as priceless materials and artifacts. It was, after all expected of him. The first Winglord to claim the title of a Prime and ruling all of Cybertron, he was the sole ruler of the Empire, the first in a tremendously long time to be able to claim so. His seat of power had to reflect that - and it did in every way that mattered. Reaching not only far above other Eyries but the neighbouring mountaintops as well, it was the first thing spaceships coming from outer space saw from the planet - it had to do with subtle rearranging of space approach routes to Cybertron as well - and it completely dominated not only Vos, but the whole Manganese Mountain range and most of the northern hemisphere. Former, diehard Autobots called it a monstrosity, but only in quiet whispers - and even those had to admit that the inside surpassed anything previously built or seen.
Still, it was far more work going on amongst the magnificent walls than balls, much to the Winglord’s chagrin. The actual running of the Empire was a lot harder than gaining those lofty titles, especially as he wanted to be an actual leader, not a figurehead and not let the whole thing slide back to that abysmal system that it used to be. Ohh, Optimus did talk a good talk and he was almost believable too - but he was definitely a figurehead for most of his rule and he knew very little about how life went on outside the Palace, outside Iacon and for anymech else but grounders. His ideals were good, his spark fundamentally in the right place, but he had absolutely no idea how to put them into actual governance and he was way too naive for actual politics.
And while Megatron also had good ideals and even good knowledge of how the lower classes used to live - he was no ruler and had neither the education, nor the affinity to learn the nuances of politics and governing. He could lead armies, but Primus forbid to put the reins of Cybertron into his brutish servos. Like… he had never quite grasped the art of picking good advisors, councillors and executors... and let them work. Like Starscream did with his two Councils, the small, trustworthy, inner one that could help him as well as act on their own; and the elected, representative larger one that needed a strong servo to steer but added necessary feedback from across the society. These two, along with his actual government structure and career social servants worked like a charm for over a hundred vorns now and the only problem was the small cells of diehard Autobots and Decepticons who wanted to turn back the wheel of time and ignored the vast Empire that was happy with his peace, his rule and the way things generally became.
Starscream had looked up sharply at the noise from the outside. The Small Council fell silent, well used to their ruler’s short and unpredictable temper. The Seeker was already in a bad mood from the news about the accident at the energon refinery - that might or might not have been a real accident, as opposed to a rare act of sabotage that it looked like - and it was best not to provoke a full tantrum. The noise from outside the Council Hall’s doors has intensified, broken words of a loud argument floated inside on an unmistakable tone of voice. Starscream scowled but curiously, it wasn’t his usual, angry scowl. Skyfire exvented the air he had been holding. Thundercracker made an aborted move to stand and glanced at Starscream.
“Let them in!”
The seeker ordered and immediately the guards posted in the inside hurried to open the huge, ornate doors. The voices outside fell and the outer guards peeked inside worriedly. Thundercracker motioned them to let the intruders in and smothered a smile.
“I told you so!”
The high, cutting voice was almost like Starscream’s, just like the slim and small Seeker who trotted inside, making a fairly rude wing-twitch at the guards as he passed them. If not for the size and the optics, the red-blue Seeker could almost have been mistaken for the Winglord. He was trailed by another flier, also with the mostly red-blue colouring, though his base colour was more steel gray than the other’s silvery white and he wore the unmistakable kibble of a triple-changer on his frame. But he tailed the miniature Starscream-copy silently into the opulent chamber, his larger frame almost a shadow for his companion.
“Astra. Supernova.” Starscream greeted them neutrally, but everymech present could feel how he tried to stifle back the warmth in his voice to remain professional-sounding. ”I am fairly sure that it is your history lesson time now. Do tell me why are you here, disturbing the Council meeting.”
“Sire…” - Astra looked apprehensive for all of a nanoklik, before he regained his confidence, so much like Starscream’s it was uncanny - “that’s why we’re here! What the tutor said… it can’t be true!”
Starscream frowned and he rose from his throne. His creations came to a stop in front of him, ignoring the council looking on intently, though Supernova’s wing twitch acknowledged Thundercracker, his favourite flight instructor.
“What did he say?”
“She.” Astra announced, correcting his sire like nomech else would readily dare to. “Bulkhead has had an accident and we had a substitute tutor this orn. Name’s Chromia…”
Starscream’s sharp invent was echoed by many in the council and stopped Astra from continuing. The small Seeker cocked a brow plate and looked interested at the reaction he was garnering. The still silent minimature triplechanger behind him crossed his arms and looked thoughtful. Thundercracker called up the twins’ lesson schedule on his console and swore inwardly.
“What. Did. She. Say?” Starscream bit out, looking angrier than for a long time. Former Autobots were supposed to stay in Iacon and not interfere with the running of the Empire or in the affairs of Vos. Especially not be involved in the upbringing of his creations! He hissed at the council, while waving Astra to wait.
“Council dismissed. We will continue in the seventh joor. Out. TC, Fire, you stay.”
Skyfire sort of represented the Autobot side of his Empire, while Starscream could still trust him. Thundercracker was the one in charge of his creations’ education. Anticipating the order, he was already investigating how Chromia could come to be even considered as suitable tutor for Starscream’s creations. Once the Councilmechs filed out of the chamber, Starscream turned back to Astra and the pensive Supernova.
“Now tell me. What did she say?”
Astra swallowed nervously, for a few kliks losing his usual brash, youthful confidence. Starscream forced his wings to go still. It had to be serious. Astra was famous for being nearly as brazen and daring as himself. He glanced to Supernova. The tiniest triplechanger in the Empire shrugged and spoke up at last, his deeper voice echoing faintly in the chamber.
“We know that she lied. What we don’t know is how or why. She was going about the closure of the Great War, discussing scenarios. Then, out of the blue she said that you used Optimus against Megatron and vice versa. That you played them against each other to win the war on your terms.”
Starscream exvented a tiny sigh. That was a common Autobot belief, one that should have already been in the twins’ curriculum to be explained and disproved. And maybe it was...
“That’s not all she said!” Astra’s shrill voice cut into his relief. “She didn’t outright say more, but she insinuated plenty.”
“She didn’t say so.” Supernova shrugged one broad, pronounced shoulder kibble. They have obviously argued about the matter, as it was, ending them bringing it to him as they should.
“And she is an Autobot so obviously she wanted to influence us.”
“Against Sire!”
“All right.” Starscream at this point had a very good idea just what Chromia insinuated about him to his kids and he was going to kill the femme for doing this to the youngsters. “Yes, that femme has grievances against me and Seekers in general. She is not above using untruths to make you doubt in me.”
“She submitted a falsified resume to the office that didn’t include her Autobot past.” Thundercracker added from the background. “We have a lot of younger and Neutral mechs there who don’t know every Autobot by designation, so she could pass muster and was added to the substitute tutor list. As she was available, she was called in when Bulkhead reported having an accident”
Starscream nodded. It was unfortunate, but inevitable as the war has gone from immediate past to something that happened in another lifetime. A generation has grown up who knew nothing but peace and for whom Autobot or Decepticon only meant something in the history books and some rare badges a few still wore. A generation happy to be neutral and not divide themselves into opposing factions.
“We don’t doubt in you, Sire.” Supernova’s deep voice held conviction and fierce loyalty. “You have never lied to us...”
“...about Carrier, right.” Astra finished his sentence as he oft did. There was a reason the two were called twins, even though they weren’t really. “But we want to learn exactly what she meant and why.”
“Carriers.” Supernova corrected Astra. “Either of our Carriers.”
“That’s what I meant!”
“But not what you said.”
“Carriers, okay.” Astra’s scowl was so much like his own that Starscream had to smother a smirk that threatened to pull his lips. “That’s what she was jammering about. That you have somehow… played them against each other... personally?”
Astra looked uncomfortable and he was visibly trying to avoid saying something that he thought would anger Starscream. But Starscream has never feared words and his creations knew plenty already about all the nuts and bolts story. Besides it was his nature to confront things helm on.
“What she meant to say is that I supposedly whored myself for both leaders so I could come out on top, right?”
Supernova’s grimace and tight fists was echoed by Astra’s angry hiss and flared wings. That had always been how they reacted to things - one inwardly and controlled, the other outwardly and with no restraint like himself. He loved them both for it.
“And it is not true at all. I have never been intimate with either of them before the war ended. Only with my trine.” Thundercracker nodded wordlessly in the background, confirming his words. “And by then there was no power-play involved at all as they had no power left to lose. Which is proven by the fact that you two had emerged way after the war ended, after the first peace-generation. At exactly the same time at that, causing everyone to call you twins.”
Astra laughed and Supernova also smiled. None of this was news to them, Starscream has never hidden the designations of their Carriers from them, or the fact that love has not been a reason for their creation with either of them. They understood, because he explained it to them, allaying their misconceptions and detailing his reasons for doing so. It wasn’t a perfect solution by any means, but it was his and it worked. And it required no fornication of any kind, no matter what that cursed femme and some other Autobots still believed. Interfacing with his consorts came much later and had its own reason.
Starscream ruled the Seekers as Winglord on his own right and nomech questioned that. He also ruled the former Decepticon - mostly Kaonite and Tarnian faction as Warlord; and the former Autobot faction as the quasi Prime… both possible only because he took their previous leaders as his consorts. Not even willingly at first, certainly not in Megatron’s case. His former leader took it very badly when Starscream first suggested the arrangement. Nor was the former Prime very enthusiastic about it, but at least he didn’t try to murder Starscream for the proposal. But they have both agreed to it, eventually. Perhaps hoping to overthrow him in Megatron’s case, perhaps hoping to influence him in Optimus’s… it didn’t matter in the end. Neither of them were successful, whatever their hopes were anyway. But it didn’t mean he played with them, no, especially not against each other. He was honest in his proposals as Skyfire had suggested and it worked.
“So, go back to your lessons… though TC will have Chromia removed, so probably not history. Flight practice?”
Starscream glanced at Thundercracker, who nodded and stood to accompany the twins out of the chamber. Both were visibly eager - flight practice was both their favourite lessons and they loved the blue Seeker, who was not only close kin but despite his slower top speed, one of the best technical fliers around. Once they were gone, Starscream’s visage contorted in rage and his wings flare to their fullest.
“How dare she…!”
“Chromia has not voiced any resentment or rebellious ideas before. She has been complacent so far.” Skyfire reported from his place that he had yet to leave and researched to be able to contribute when needed. “Took off the badge and settled down with a Camien, she has been teaching history in Iacon. Nor was her curriculum any more biased than anymech could expect from a former Autobot and approved by the board. Perhaps… perhaps she believes in this bit and strongly enough so she wanted to voice it to the kids.”
“I don’t care what she believes in!” - Starscream raged - “We have peace, Skyfire, real peace! I can’t be called partial to any of the former factions either, you yourself said so! I try to be fair and right! It’s immoral to insinuate such a thing to kids, to poison them so!”
“Fortunately, they have come to you straight away.” Skyfire reminded him. “Apparently leaving her lesson halfway through. Astra’s doing, I would guess. He has your temper.”
Starscream nodded, still fuming, but pleased as well. He paced across the polished floor, heels click-clacking faintly as they punctuated his words.
“They know better than believe such nonsense about me. Still, it was inexcusable from that cursed femme!”
“I agree...”
Skyfire was going to continue, but he fell silent as Starscream’s wings shifted down from their furious stretch to something the shuttle oft called pensive. It was best to let Starscream’s thought-process run undisturbed when he was like this and it was his most effective and fruitious mood and nomech knew it better than Skyfire.
“I do wonder though… what was she trying to accomplish with this? Surely, she couldn’t believe that it would remain undiscovered, that she had any more opportunities to try to poison their processors… so she had to expect one and only one opportunity to accomplish what she wanted.”
“Maybe she acted on impulse.” Skyfire added quietly. “I am not trying to defend her, but Chromia has a temper and had been known to act rash.”
Starscream stared at his friend and lover and Skyfire almost saw his famous mind working on its highest setting as he put together bits and pieces the way very few could.
“Maybe…” he conceded after a tense and silent half-breem. “It is not out of question.”
He whirled on a thruster-heel and moved towards a hidden door at the back of the chamber only he was to enter, to a deep and hidden part of the Aerie very few has seen, though most heard about. His last words wafted through the gap to the shuttle as the reinforced door slid closed behind him.
“But I don’t think so. I need more data.”
-o-o-o-
Artificial lightning, rare in Seeker Aeries with their myriad skylights and open terraces, lit the long and zig-zagging corridor Starscream’s heels pattered along. It lead to a deep part of the structure, the true bowels of the mammoth Aerie that no Seeker would willingly inhabit - but which made for good, secure and safe places. It ended in a small, stark room with dozens of monitors and a flier guard who stood silently as he entered, nodding deferentially to the Winglord. He knew him - he knew every guard allowed here personally. There were no surprise substitutes here, no unwelcome surprises..
“Nothing to report, Winglord. They are resting, both of them.”
Starscream glanced at the monitors showing two, nearly identical set of rooms, both enclosed deeply and completely within the building, secured by every bit of technology Cybertronians and other races have come up with. The same artificial lightning lit them, dimmed for now but leaving no dark corners; and the only connection with the outside were a few viewscreens, mimicking windows, showing what would be a real panorama from where they were up high. As the guard reported, the two inhabitants were both in recharge - their day-night schedule arranged to be intentionally different from the real world’s.
Getting through the automated security took a breem even for Starscream, but he was patient. Which one to go to first… Chromia used to be an Autobot, but Starscream couldn’t imagine how such action would benefit Optimus. Astra was fiercely and vocally loyal to his Sire, to the point that when younger, he even tried to deny the other half of his parentage. The small Seeker still didn’t like Optimus and refused to do anything with him. Supernova, though… he was absolutely loyal as well, but he had his doubts that he never denied and he was a lot closer to Megatron in temperament and emotionally than Astra ever was to Optimus Prime. Starscream took a turn to the right, entering the final airlock - not even air was allowed inside without first being checked and verified - and stepped into the den Megatron had created for himself over the vorns of being imprisoned here.
They both received whatever they asked for - within reason of course - and the Kaonite’s taste ran very different in furniture and interior decor than Optimus’s. The entry chamber was bare, surreptitiously and starkly empty, though whether Megatron intended it for showing his lack of welcome or for obtaining some sort of a defensive advantage, Starscream had never been sure. In any case, the Seeker moved confidently inside. Long gone were the times Megatron has tried to overpower or kill him as he entered. Even that thick helm of his was forced to learn in time that he was incapable to do so now or ever again. Cybertronians have always abhorred the idea of processor manipulation, but there were races that did not have the same compunctions. Humans and their compulsive drive to control their machines came useful sometimes, Starscream mused as he moved to the inner room, where Megatron was already awake, shaking off the last vestiges of recharge, cable still connecting him to the berth. Of course he had heard the inner door opening, it opened rarely these orn and the former gladiator lost very little of his edge since coming to live here.
He made no move to get up or get closer to the Seeker, turning only his helm and red gaze as Starscream moved towards the viewscreen, stopping in front of it, arms crossed, wings comfortably calm and watched the mist-shrouded landscape outside with the faint silhouettes of towers further away. No greetings were voiced on either side. There was no love lost between them and Megatron had little use for civility. Starscream had tried for awhile at first, but the former Warlord had not thawed or acquiesced to his politer advances either. It left him to pare down their interactions to the bare necessities. Not that he didn’t try sometimes...
“It’s been raining earlier, did you see it?”
A grunt was his only answer.
“A rare thing at such a high latitude and in this season. But I guess it was fortunate, as it helped to put out the flames in the energon refinery.” Starscream turned back, towards Megatron. “Though you don’t know about it, it was done in your designation.”
Megatron shrugged and disconnected himself from the berth. He made no move to get up. Over the vorns, he learned that the codes allowed him very little when Starscream was in his room. Movements slow, as not to be suspicious or threatening, he slid to the edge of the berth and sat up properly. Starscream made no move to sit. Megatron kept grounder only armchairs with high backs and armrests - all the more glaringly obvious that his only ever visitor was Starscream. It was one of the subtlest ways he expressed not welcoming the Seeker in his prison. Starscream wasn’t bothered by it. Much. He considered it petty and allowed it as such for the defeated enemy.
“No, I don’t blame you. In all fairness, I can’t, even though the culprits painted your designation on the wall with the stolen energon. Why they needed it is a mystery as even the lowest Iaconian can get plenty enough fuel these orns. But anyhow, it’s not like you could prevent them from doing so.”
“No, I couldn’t.”
“Your DJD still.”
“Not mine any more, no.”
“They consider themselves yours.”
“I cannot stop them in believing that either.”
“True.” Starscream conceded. “Still, they make your designation quite hated among the populace whose life they are disturbing. Cybertron, the mechs want peace. My peace. Your brand of violence has… gone out of fashion, so to speak.”
“It’s not mine either.” Megatron sighed. “You keep blaming me, even as you say that you do not. My brand of violence so to speak, has been very effectively curbed... by you.”
“You have been tamed, not your violence.” Starscream countered. Secretly, he enjoyed these verbal sparrings with Megatron a lot more than the tamer discourses with Optimus, whenever he could spur him into one. Not that he would ever say so. “The DJD is your creation. The Phase Sixers are your creations…”
…”Actually, the latter is Shockwave’s, but whatever.” Megatron interjected acerbically. “I have only one creation who matters and you continue to keep him from me, despite your earlier promise.”
Starscream shrugged a wing and scowled.
“Supernova is fine without you. He needs no bitter revenge ideas and an old, decrepit gladiator poisoning his processor with violence and outdated notions.”
“Instead you poison it against me.”
“No, actually, you are extremely rarely coming up in a conversation between us. We have a lot of better things to discuss.”
Megatron shrugged and shifted as he sat on the berth. Starscream knew that long ago he would have been standing and looming over him by at this point… these orns he tried to do the looming by his words and a pointed stare. A pointless exercise but since it was the only thing he could still do, Starscream overlooked it. Talk was cheap, he should know.And looming gazes were laughable from a mech effectively tamed and… de-fanged.
“And I should believe you, why?”
“I have never lied to you…” - Megatron snorted and Starscream smirked as he continued - “... about Supernova.”
He pulled a datapad from his subspace and put it down to the table beside the one already there. Megatron’s so-called poetry was so abysmal, Starscream couldn’t imagine why he still did it. Passing the time, he supposed? Anyhow, what he brought would interest him a lot more.
“I don’t censor these you know, in any way or form. He writes and tells whatever he wants.”
He watched as Megatron tensed, wanting to get up and get the pad… but he knew that he couldn’t. The codes would never let him that close to Starscream, not unless he allowed them to. After all, Supernova had to be conceived and one cannot get closer to another mech than that. But those occasions were rare and special, requiring special precautions as well. Normally, Starscream didn’t trust Megatron still, not even this tamed and corralled kind. Especially not this one. Hence a hefty few mechanometers that were to be maintained between them at all times.
“He grows to a fine mech.” Starscream kept one servo over the datapad and sighed. “A finer one I should say than either of us used to be.”
“He has plenty of advantages over us. Education, credits, an all-powerful Sire... “
“And fine tutors as well.” Starscream added offhandly, carefully keeping his voice bored and his wings unchanged.
“Probably. The best you can buy him, I expect.”
Starscream didn’t miss the glance Megatron kept stealing at the datapad. Feigning disinterest but he was as eager for any news about Supernova, as Optimus was about Astra. For this, he didn’t blame either of them. It was cruel to keep the kids from their Carriers, and he would relent in time. Later.
“Yes. Though… sometimes a bad egg gets into the basket.”
Megatron divested any sort of feigned disinterest in a klik and strained towards Starscream.
“What happened to him?”
“Nothing that cannot be fixed, nothing physical. He is fine, they are both fine… but an Autobot will answer me why she lied to my creations.”
Starscream turned towards Megatron, his voice becoming sharp and shrill, wings flexing up and outward. Megatron leaned back in the face of his fury that the codes reacted to.
“And you can blame yourself for this a lot more than for the DJD. You had never stifled the false rumours about me, about my supposed promiscuity, about my fragging my way to the top; in fact you had always encouraged them. Even the Autobots believe in it, even to this orn. And now it has come back and poisoned Supernova’s processor.”
“It shook his belief in you.” Megatron couldn’t help but feel victorious in a tiny, tiny way over Starscream, rare were these occasions these vorns. And it lasted for less than a nanoklik before the next words crashed down on him.
“It did that…” Starscream turned and moved towards the entrance briskly. “And he blames you for that, you know?”
He let the doorway scan his identity and turned back from the corridor to watch as Megatron was at the table with one long step, picking up the datapad and flipping it on in one smooth motion. Supernova’s serious face appeared on the small screen, a tiny frown pulling his brow-plates together.
“Guess it’s not what she intended, but well… this is what you got.”
He doubted that Megatron really listened to him still, but he would realize it soon enough. That as almost as good as getting a good last word in an argument.
-o-o-o-
Starscream did like to get the last word in. He even knew his tendency to do so and that it irked him when he couldn’t. Megatron was an easy catch in this, he spoke little these orns and oft appeared to be tired of their arguments. Optimus was a harder bolt to crack and Starscream often had to rely on the door closing on his heels to cut off the convoy’s inevitable last words floating after him. It was unfair advantage, but he wasn’t above using it. But for now, he returned to the monitors and watched as Megatron flipped through the pictures, the videos, the messages and when he reached the end, he started it all over again. Starscream didn’t want to keep Supernova from him for so long… but now it appeared that he would need to keep him away still. Damned femme put a wrench into his plans and Supernova was now upset on several levels and stifling it back, like internalizing has ever made anything better. Astra was upset too, but he raged and shouted and blamed Chromia only… it was a lot easier to deal with and healthier to get it all out. Besides, Astra has never had a great liking for his Carrier, so it wasn’t like he got very upset about it.
Starscream shrugged and left the Consorts’ quarters. It would work out somehow. Sometime. Probably not before long, as Supernova was, for all his patience, a mech of action too. Skyfire agreed to his evaluation, offered to help and he was there, a calm and solid presence Starscream himself could lean on... It took some planning to have the twins do different activities and make it appear natural to separate, but they managed to do it. The femme was back in Iacon and learning the consequences of her actions… oh no, Starscream didn’t have her killed. Peacetime meant that he couldn’t just have a citizen murdered and get away with it. Still, he had ways and the femme soon started to loose her nice, comfortable lifestyle. All down to the small notion on her record how she had failed as a tutor. And the designation signed underneath. Sometimes a tiny thing like that was enough to start a snowball of consequences.
Starscream put aside the journal that announced a certain femme’s dismissal from the approved teachers and stretched. It was another long day and no matter how it ended in a good news, he was tired. Tired and stiff and he hasn’t been flying since…
A knock interrupted his musing and at his signal the guards let his creation in.
“Nova.”
Starscream nodded to his creation as he entered his inner rooms and hugged him. Briefly, as they were in an age when a creator’s hug was considered embarrassing, but tightening it for a nanoklik to convey what neither of them was good at voicing or showing. Love. No matter how there wasn’t anything deep between him and Megatron, he loved their creation as much as he was capable of. It wasn’t like others’ but then, he was Starscream and not others.
“Where’s Astra?” Like he didn’t know… but it was a good conversation-starter.
“He’s gone to Kalis with TC and Warp.”
“And you stayed.”
Unspoken was how inseparable the twins were normally.
“I wanted to talk to you, Sire.”
“You can always talk to me, Nova.”
“About Carrier.”
“I know.” Starscream tugged a stiff arm until he thawed and let himself drawn on the huge berth.
“Well, come on. We’re not strangers to talk standing there and facing each other, like enemies. Up here.”
He felt Supernova nodding and he squirmed until he was comfortably leaning against Starscream. Not quite the carefree and comfortable sprawl on top of him, like when he was smaller, but a bit closer, warmer than he was lately. Starscream could work with this, accept this.
“I know what Chromia said… and what she didn’t say, was not true. I know. But still… it disturbs me.”
“In what way?”
“Why did she say it? She could have slandered you in many other ways. She could have made up thousands of lies. But she didn’t. She said this, and others whispered it too. I’m old enough now to understand what I didn’t a few vorns ago. Others say it too.”
Starscream stroked Nova’s shoulder and let him have it all out. As frugal as he usually was with words, it was a litany from him, showing just how upset he truly was. Best get it all out while he was in a mood to spill.
“And I believe you that you were honest with us and I believe you when you say that it is not true… Fire say so and TC and Knockout too.. But something still disturbs me about it.”
“Your Carrier.”
“Yes. I have re-read his old messages. He wrote a lot when I was smaller. And now I can see the same thing Chromia was accusing you with. It’s not as outright and clear, but it’s there.”
“And you want to ask him yourself why.”
Supernova lifted his helm and red optics widened at Starscream.
“What? You thought I would not let you, right? That I would repeat my assurances and disprove those foul rumors one more time and expect you to let it go?” He kissed the top of his helm and sighed. “I now it is not me that you are doubting in. And I really cannot say anything that I haven’t told you before. I doubt that he can, but even so, you have to hear him saying it.”
“That he smears you…? Why? I’m not sure I want to hear him saying it.”
Being a triplechanger, Supernova’s wings were a lot less mobile than a Seekers. Still, they were nearly vibrating as he lay against Starscream, betraying his agitation.
“No. Well, he might still refer to it, but I think he realized by now that you know better. No, I mean you should ask him why he felt that it was a good thing to encourage rumours, to let them fly and to let them reach you as well. When he of all mechs had known them to be false. To hear his reasons… or his excuses.”
Supernova was silent and Starscream had waited it out patiently until he spoke up again.
“I… I think I want to do that.”
“Good.”
Starscream held his creation in his arms until they both fell into recharge. He had to clear a slag-ton of appointments for this, but it was worth doing. The next joor Supernova spoke to Megatron through a real-time, two-way connection for the first time in his life while Starscream only watched it from the next room. It went like a charm. There was no way Megatron could come out looking good from the whole thing and it was obvious that he didn’t know how to really connect with the creation he had never met before. He tried to handle the matter condescendingly and failed as Supernova kept his calm and read him his faults. It took all Starscream’s self control not to rush in and kiss his creation for being the real adult in the face of his Carrier and his broken record of accusations, smears and insinuations and his refusal to accept any responsibility.
Was he really believing that he could win Supernova over by this…? Starscream pondered later as he held Supernova again, calming him after the emotional experience of seeing his carrier for the worst. Or was he not thinking at all, just letting loose with his bitterness at defeat?
One thing was sure. Whatever Chromia’s plans were, things came out perfectly for Starscream and for all his family that still mattered.
Ad that was the most important thing.
The only thing.