Surrendering

Chapter one: Captive

Post Dark of the MOON: Ironhide has survived. Skids, Mudflap, Wheeljack, and Mirage are dead.

Rating will INCREASE as fiction continues somewhere around chapter 4.

I know, I know I should be writing other stories but this has three chapters already and it just has to be put out there. I don't know how well people are going to like this pairing but it's not found when I searched for it. For now it focuses on Starscream. He's one of the major partners here …can you guess who I'm going to pair him with! I DARE YOU TO GUESS! Read and review and I love you guys. Major plot points to come in the next two chapters.

This is for Borath, because I know this is something she'll enjoy.

Transformers belong to Hasbro. I just write them into my own twisted little fics.

Paddle-Shifter belongs to me.

The hanger was well lit. They had been given a berth each and Energon. These Decepticons, in their minds, were prisoners of war. Though they were fed and given berths, they were still held captive against their will.

The human surveillance teams had done a great job installing cameras; there were hardly any blind spots in the building. The four Decepticons were in holding. Three of them sat talking quietly amongst themselves, disarmed, and with their transformation cogs disabled they remained in their bi-pedal modes. They were trying to keep their spirits up, but it had been seven days and they would wait longer until Optimus or Starscream broke their silences.

The forth Decepticon stood, away from the small group, staring at the far wall, to the three flat television screens that funneled in human news from the outside: CNN, MSNBC, and FOXNEWS.

Barricade, Hook, and Paddle-Shifter sat together on three crates.

"Think he'll be ok?" The youngest asked looking up at Barricade to his left, then Hook to his right.

"He'll be fine Shifter." Barricade murmured slowly. "He just needs time this will be a hard adjustment."

Hook gave Barricade a quizzical look, his demeanor had changed almost over night, and this concerned the medic. Hook pressed on his knees shifting to stand and looked back "Remain here; the both of you." He said slowly.

"Sir." Barricade nodded and put a hand on Paddle-Shifter's shoulder. "Stay put youngling let Hook try to talk to him."

Taking slowly deliberate steps forward Hook found himself beside the silver seeker. "How are you holding up?" Hook's quiet tenor voice was kind and sincere.

Starscream looked down, then back up into the medic's optics and was surprised as his vocals cracked slightly. "I'll be fine." He cleared his vocals as he nodded trying to keep his stoic composure that he'd kept all week. "Better than if we'd been bonded I'm sure." It was Starscream trying to reassure himself.

Hook looked up at the raptor and gave him a slow acknowledging nod. "I know what he meant to you." He tried to focus on the human on the Fox News Network. "What you meant to him." He added quietly. "I lost the one I cared for too."

Starscream turned to face Hook for only a moment observing the mech in quiet thought. He started to speak but closed his mother giving a slow nod. "Of course." It was all he managed to get out before he sealed his lips and looked back at the screens. If Megatron had said anything to the medic the seeker didn't want to know, it was hard enough with him dead. To hear things he'd never hear the other mutter would be harder, there would be no way to find out of they were true.

This would be the second time the seeker had lost his berth-mate, and the medic could see the strain. He knew this was not easy for Starscream, because unlike last time, there was no coming back for Megatron.

"With all due respect Starscream, what will happen to us now?" Hook turned his head now and met Starscream who twisted toward him to speak.

"The war is over." Starscream said with finiteness. "Cybertron is dead, Sentinel and Mega-," he sealed his optics then opened them slowly. "Megatron were wrong." He said slowly. "This will most likely be difficult, but I am planning to make arrangements with the Autobots." He reached up running his claws over his chest idly.

"What?" Hook blinked. "What kind of arrangements could you fathom to make?"

"We've no where to go, nothing to gain from leaving except starving to death in space. The nemesis is scrap, the Ark won't fly, the Autobots have no ship for space travel, but they do have an Energon converter." Starscream lowered his helm closing his optics as his fingers lifted from his chest to his optics, and thumbed over his optical-lid screens. "It is in our best interests to remain on Earth." Hook could tell that admission was the hardest of all. "Amongst our own people." He said slowly. "As difficult as transition as I fear it will be." Starscream sighed deeply his vents expelling the hot air from his manifold over his back plates. "This will not be easy but we're going to have to make it work, make sacrifices." He said this last sentence only for himself as if using it's to draw up his own strength.

Turning Starscream looked directly into the first camera he knew was active. "I request to speak with Optimus Prime."

Red-Alert turned from his console. "Optimus you've been summoned." He said slowly. "Took him a week, but the seeker is asking for you now."

"I thought it would take longer." Ratchet replied slowly his helm turning to face Ironhide.

"I'll escort you to him Prime." Ironhide said briskly. "He can't be trusted." The black mech checked his sides reaching down to his leg panel with a nod to assure himself his combat blade was in place.

Optimus turned having heard all the objections he held up a hand. "Ironhide he is disabled I will speak to him alone, though you will escort him to my hanger."

"Optimus." Ironhide shook his head taking a step forward his arm raised in protest. "This is lunacy."

Optimus was a sheet of stone, his emotions did not waver and he did not seem to care for Ironhide's little outburst. "You have your orders Ironhide." Optimus repeated firmly and it caused every manifold in the room to hold as Ironhide's posture stiffened.

"Yes Sir." He said and turned brushing past Ratchet Briskly and moving out the doors. Ratchet shook his head and stepped forward next to Optimus.

"He's still very angry Optimus." Ratchet sighed turning to Face the Peter-built as it turned away. "After what Sentinel did, and the loss of Skids and Mudflapp…" Ratchet shook his head. "He's not going to be himself for a long while."

"We have to move on." Optimus said slowly. "I know that's not the easiest of things to do given the situation, but we have a city to help rebuild, and humanity to watch over, we can't just take a vacation from it." He said blandly.

"You could use one, a vacation, get your mind off all this tragedy." Ratchet said slowly. "That is my professional opinion by the way."

"Your opinion is noted Ratchet. Get Barricade out of there. I want you to try to get him figured out as soon as possible." Optimus said dryly before turning to the door. "I'll be speaking with the Starscream, excuse me."

Ratchet looked at Red Alert who shrugged. "Boss man's got a lot on his space dock." Red Alert smirked and sat back in his chair. Turning to his almost 25 LCD screens the small red and black mech started to continue his monitoring.

"He certainly does my friend." Ratchet nodded slowly. "He certainly does." Turning Ratchet leaned down over Red Alert's control panel. "See if you can raise Bumblebee I'll take him with me to get Barricade." Ratchet smiled. "We'll get this Decepticon sorted out."

They all stood up as the hanger door opened as if a damn had burst. Ironhide stood with his laser rifle over his left shoulder peering in just enough to make himself look menacing. "Just Starscream." He said flatly. Hook, Barricade, and Paddle-shifter sat back down.

Starscream nodded to them and looked forward to Ironhide. "I will return shortly." He said assuredly. "Get some rest all of you."

"Be careful." Was the only warning Hook gave; however, Starscream didn't appear to have heard him as he stepped over the lip of the hanger door and out into the sunlight. Ironhide sealed the door and then faced the larger mech. "You'll be going to Prime's hanger to speak with him privately." He said and motioned Starscream along. "This way."

Starscream raised a brow as he began to walk along the asphalt that lead to the tarmac. "You do not support his decision to bring me out."

Ironhide didn't look up. "No I do not." He said gruffly.

Starscream for a moment got lost in the thought of being on his wheels and rolling onto the runway the air in his intakes, the ground vanishing away under a blanket of clouds. He shook his head to vanish the daydream.

Coming back to himself Starscream shrugged giving Ironhide a sideways glance. "And why is that exactly? I thought you of all Autobots would be supportive of your leader? Hmm?" The seeker's arms fell behind his back as he walked slowly across the tarmac with the smaller weapon's specialist.

"Stop fishing." Ironhide said and pushed him forward slightly. It was a very small push and didn't do any damage, but it was enough to make the Raptor's smirk grow. "It's none of your slagging business."

"I can assure you this much Ironhide, if Megatron wanted to meet with your second in command; I wouldn't leave them alone."

Ironhide growled. "I don't trust you."

"You won't trust me." Starscream clarified as he stepped forward.

"No. You're absolutely right. I won't. I would never trust someone like you." They came to a stop outside a large hanger. Starscream was relieved he would be able to stand at full height without hitting the roof of the building. Built for a Prime. Reaching up his hand Ironhide rapped on the door with his silver knuckles. "Prime I have your …guest." The word sounded like treachery on his tongue. He was disgusted, and Starscream was getting the slightest bit of pleasure from the mech's annoyance. It was helping give Starscream the courage to help him do what he needed to do.

The door slid back and Optimus appeared in the doorway and motioned the seeker inside. Starscream gave Ironhide a smirk and then turned inside past Optimus. "Go back to the Command Center."

Ironhide grabbed the frame of the door. "Optimus I must once again Protest that this is highly-"

"Go back to the Command Center." He said again and shut the door. Ironhide managed to pull his servo free just in time.

Optimus vented a sigh; he and Ironhide were going to have to have a serious talk about all this. As he looked up he turned to see Starscream looking at a case on table before him. "Is that what I think it is?" The F22 murmured quietly.

"That is what's left of it yes." Optimus nodded and walked forward. "It was found on the boy." He replied evenly. "One of very few relics we have left, and even it is not whole."

"Broken just like our people." The Raptor gave pause. "It's so small." Starscream murmured softly his hand reaching forward to the glass; he placed his palm on the case and held it there. Optimus did not move he merely watched the seeker. "I never got to see it myself not up close…I saw the boy holding it on the building tops in Mission city but I never got this close to it." There was a long lingering silence.

Starscream lowered his helm. "Forgive my nostalgia." He murmured softly. "What befell us was a great tragedy." He murmured lowering his arm and standing straight; his head still bowed. "This war tore everything apart. It stopped being about the planet…and became…"

Optimus nodded slowly his tone even with each spoken word. "It was between me and Megatron."

"Yes and I thought you would bend eventually. " Starscream's optics met those of the Prime. "Give surrender." He shook his head "But you always had followers, always had Energon." He frowned and looked away. "And Megatron was too strong willed to bend, or even break." The seeker sighed, "He would not give in to you."

"The Decepticons had a ship." Optimus said slowly. "We have had nothing like the Nemesis."

"It's a graveyard now." Starscream shook his helm slowly. "The cargo bay was converted to a rookery." He shook his head "The eggs…nests are all dead." He looked down. "We didn't have the Energon to sustain them all."

"You crated young." There was no surprise in his voice as he stated the fact. Optimus wasn't going to interrogate the seeker, he seemed talkative enough divulging the information on his own. Simple statements of fact seemed to make the Scientist more verbose.

"Over four vorns as the ship made it's way here. We had breeders." Starscream shook his head "Megatron spent a lot of time with them, said it was our sworn duty to procreate so that when we rebuilt Cybertron it would have a race to live on it." He shook his head slowly. Reaching up his hand to rub at his optics. "Most of the mechs went to the breeding grounds willingly a good face in the midst of war, they saw it as therapy and so did Megatron. Very few did so under duress."

"Femmes and Mechs?" Optimus asked slowly trying to carry along Starscream's easy confessions.

"The breeders?" To Optimus' nod he shrugged "You knew Megatron well…I'm sure," he gave a curt motion of his right hand. "Mostly Mechs who weren't cut out for battle or hard labor…they were send to the breeding pits, and almost every femme though there were few and even fewer still lived to birth more than one hatchling. The mechs were just better at production than the femmes." He sounded almost remorseful. "They were breed with the strongest of warriors…. as many as they could make." Optimus held his silence. "I didn't sire any." Starscream said slowly but it didn't seem to give him much comfort. "Megatron sired dozens with three of the mechs from the pit, but they are all dead." He left the thank Primus part out of it.

It really soured Starscream that the one mech he truly cared for didn't care for his feelings at all. Starscream shared Megatron's berth but Megatron himself never really touched him.

"But you didn't." Prime stated coming around to sit on a seat on the far wall.

"Eh-no I did not. It was my choice and with my rank no one really questioned it." He said slowly turning away from the All-Spark sliver's case and looking back. "My spark was allied to Megatron himself, had he wished to Spark me I would have had to comply." Starscream reached out to touch a few items on the shelf near the cube sliver; mostly human artifacts.

Optimus' optics thinned. "You wanted to though did you not?"

"I did." He sounded slightly shameful. Starscream looked nervously up then down desperate to change the subject. After a long tense moment he turned to meet the other's piercing gaze. "What will you do with us?" he was desperately trying to rein his emotions in. Optimus could see as much as feel, with the Matrix's help, the aching field the seeker gave off. No one else would feel that ache, that deep rooted anguish, except a Prime.

"That has not been decided." Optimus said honestly. "The war is over Starscream." Optimus said matter-of-factly. "You are not prisoners of war." He sighed and turned his head away. "There's very little we can do."

Starscream nodded. "You can't release us can you?"

"Unfortunately no." Optimus murmured. "The humans will not allow it, you cannot be tried under their legal system and so the four of you, and any other former Decepticons we might find will fall under our purview."

Starscream lowered his helm. "I don't suppose if I said I was sorry that will help our cause." He sighed at the stern look he received and held up a hand in concession before lowering it.

Optimus let the little comment go and watched the seeker quietly for a long time. "What?" Starscream looked at him long and hard.

"If I grant you a pardon, the four of you." Optimus motioned to the seat beside himself and the seeker slowly took it. "Would you help us round up the rogues?"

"The soldiers who still follow the Decepticon cause?" Starscream asked.

"In so many words yes." Optimus said firmly.

"It might take some deception," he laughed at that slightly. "But I can bring in a very large group of them." He said slowly. "The others may need to be put into stasis, restrained, or even held in detention. Some, and I know you fought Demolisher, are just what's the human term for it…bloodthirsty? Yes, and it will take much more than me telling them to stand down for them to do so."

"You all weren't very organized."

"Chaos itself was what we were going for. If you could not predict our movements we felt safer."

Optimus gave silent acknowledgement to the statement, as he leaned forward grabbing a data pad and sliding it to Starscream. "We have had a few of the Energon detectors going off in these four sectors." He said slowly. "Some in the last twelve hours." He said softly. "Could you help us figure out who these are and how best to bring them in?"

Starscream eyed the map. Antarctica he wasn't going near he turned his attention to Mexico and a blip. "I think I might know who that is." He said slowly. "How long as it been going off?"

Optimus turned the pad to him and made a few calculations. "Twelve breems." He said slowly.

Starscream looked up. "It has got to be Thundercracker." He said slowly with a sigh. "He's setting it off on purpose probably to lure you in." He shook his head. "He was in charge of that area of the Earth, it fell into his patrol route." Starscream reached to the lower side of South America. "Breakdown was covering this area." His hand drew back. "Those are my two best guesses. I'm not sure who would be up in the frozen wastes, but I'll think about it some more it would have to be one of us that could stand the extreme cold." He looked at the blinker on the USA. His claw trailed over the state of Illinois. "I might have an idea of who this is too." He murmured. "But I don't want to speculate."

Optimus gave him a long look. "Thank you for being forthcoming with the information you have."

Optimus gave him a second data-pad. "I'll be sending data-pads to the hanger for your mechs, for now just start keeping a log, and try to do what you can to remember where the others are. My pertinent information you can provide will be welcomed. You and your mechs, are pardoned." He stood. "Thank you for speaking with me."

"We're out of options Optimus." The seeker looked up at him. "What happens when the humans no longer grant us asylum on this planet?" Starscream asked in all seriousness.

Optimus' optics looked over to the shard sliver case. "Than we shall go, and make the best of it."

"That's a pretty sad option." Starscream let out a low chuckle.

Optimus, however, didn't seem amused.

To be continued.