Note: It's been a while since I updated this story and for that I'm sorry from all readers waiting for it to update. I hope not to let it slip for so long from now on.

Trine dynamics

The four Seekers flew to the Ark together and Starscream, as he expected, noted his trine-mates casting distinctively jealous glances towards the new flier, Skyfire. When they were descending he saw Skywarp deliberately cutting through Skyfire's path, forcing him to bank hard to avoid collision and TC covered his mate while at it. They were starting it already. Skyfire, by Seeker standards was a loner, therefore inferior to any flier in a full trine. On the other wing, he was bigger and probably stronger than any of them and encroaching on their territory. Only the fact that Starscream as trine-leader was charged with leading him towards their nest held the other two back from outright attacking the big flier to chase away what they instinctly saw and judged as a threat.

Skyfire of course understood all of it perfectly and he was behaving humbly, giving way to Skywarp at once, not forcing the issue. He wasn't a confrontational type anyway, preferring to sing matters over before they could come to claws and fighting. When they arrived to the hangar door, he waited outside before the trine was inside and Starscream deliberately and loudly sang with as clear notes as he could produce Skyfire/guest/right/enter. His trine-mates couldn't disobey that without challenging him for the leadership and he saw no sign of such rebelliousness in the trine; they looked perfectly content with Starscream being their leader.

Even despite of this, Skywarp made sure to bang into his right wing as he passed by the bigger flier on his way in. It must have hurt his own wing more and Skyfire smothered a smile at the dark grimace that followed the loud clang. He trilled a small, wordless note that expressed equal amounts of respect and amusement and hitched his bigger, heavier wings higher. There was politeness and there was size and he'd not roll over to the smaller flier, even in their… was it even a nest?

Their place was… strange. Skyfire was used to cages like all Seekers but what these three had here was very clearly a nest, and a fairly big and comfortable one, even for someone his size. An unusual nest with the vaguely mech-type furniture and the myriad strange but colourful toys around, but still recognizable as a true Seeker home. He envied them for it greatly, just as much as their freedom. Even more shocking was when Starscream stepped to a machine by one wall and pulled a cube of energon from it. He sipped a small amount from the cube, gave it to his wing-second who also drank a little and it was passed on to Skywarp. The black Seeker was still glowering darkly to the big flier and sipped an impolitely big gulp from it, before pushing the meager remains towards Skyfire.

Skyfire took the cube with care, not used to holding such relatively small things with his large digits. It barely contained a small mouthful, but it was symbolical, since Starscream offered it and all his trine agreed – after drinking it he'd be accepted in their nest, at least temporarily. Well, as welcomed and accommodating as Skywarp could make himself to be – Starscream hissed disapprovingly again at his jealous wing-third and even cuffed his wingtip lightly. He was calmed only when the shuttle drank the energon. At their long lost home it would have been a small catch offered, but they had to make do with what they had here.

Politely, he announced all their designations, introducing them to Skyfire and telling them how he got to know the big flier. Starscream/glad/see/again Skyfire sang in his deeper, clear baritone voice, strange from a Seeker. Skyfire/hear/deeds/Starscream and Autobots/tell/bad/Starscream, he continued. Starscream answered with an Autobots/enemy/fight and flock/change/enemy/negative, acting the story out also with his added a Starscream/leave/Decepticon/flock and join/trine/Autobot. Skyfire flicked a wing to signal his understanding and answered with Skyfire/glad/enemy/negative.

He also asked Starscream/flat/language/query, remembering how the Seeker could speak to the grounder mechs. He, like most Seekers understood some of the flat words that were necessary to serve their masters, but he's never seen anyone with wings who could actually speak them. Starscream tried to explain it but devices, like vocal units had no Seeker names – but he sang Starscream/voice/change and learn/flat/language. Thundercracker/flat/language/learn he added to it. Skyfire looked very much interested in it and asked immediately Skyfire/learn/query. The answering Autobots/help/change/voice seemed to satisfy him completely.

Skyfire/big/query, Starscream continued, his optics rowing over the transformed form, but meaning the newcomer's shuttle mode. Skyfire turned sad and warbled quietly Skyfire/hurt/bad and Autobots/change/wings. The Seekers listening looked shocked and even Skywarp flicked a sympathetic wing hearing that. Skyfire/slow/fly, the big mech continued in a sad voice but continued with a proud flick of the great white wings and a thrum of his impressive engines fly/high/cold/place. Starscream wasn't sure that he understood it well. Fly/up/cold/query, he asked back, while his trine-mates stared.

Affirm/fly/dark/place, the answering warble came and Skyfire basked in the amazed stares of the three Seekers. Skywarp couldn't stay quiet and interrupted Starscream, asking like/Starsinger/query with high and vibrating wings, servo excitedly grabbing Thundercracker's. Skyfire looked surprised for a klik, then laughed in a deep, rumbling voice. Skywarp/singer/query, he asked. Skywarp nodded, the learned gesture becoming casual for them, and canted his wings in affirmation too. Skyfire/Seeker the big flier continued, Starsinger/negative.

Fly/cold/place Starscream sang to both of them, brave/big/Seeker/worthy. His notes were firm, his glance to Skywarp containing a warning. The black flier's answer was a blatant caress on his wing's top edge, as much a claiming as a declaration of belonging. Starscream hissed and hitched his wing higher, not quite shaking the black servo off but Skywarp took it off hurriedly none the less. His hissed lone/big/Seeker/slow was downright rude though. Starscream actually had to scratch a claw at his wing, causing a minor sting to remind him of his place and the required politeness towards the nest-guest.

Thundercracker cocked his helm to the side, the cant of his wings disapproving of his younger mate's blatantly rude behaviour to a nest-guest but not willing to do anything outright; he was jealous of the newcomer who seemed to be interested in Starscream as well. Skyfire, reading the whole scenario easily from the gestures only drew back a bit, lowering his wings. Skyfire/intruder/sorry, he sang and turning to Skywarp straight he continued with a Trine/nest/home and Skyfire/nest/guest. The black Seeker wasn't placated fully, but he stood back and acknowledged the apology with a flick of his servo and a short trill.

Skyfire/come/medic, Starscream picked up the conversation, seeing that his recalcitrant mate was acquiescing finally, learn/flat/words. As they turned to leave the hangar, Skywarp was by his side in a flash, standing far closer than usually and his determined look told clearly than anywhere the two of them went, he'd go too. Thundercracker joined him with a silent agreement as well and Starscream sighed, his exasperated come/all/together warbling out in his scratchy voice.

Skyfire hid a smile at the scene. He wasn't accepted yet… but he was tolerated. Starscream definitely wanted him to stay around, and his disapproving action towards Skywarp showed that he wanted it even against his trine-mates' opposing to it. That he wanted to stay was a given. There were no other Seekers among the Autobots, hardly any others on the whole planet and Starscream was the first who interested him… fascinated almost, the big flier thought, both by his behavior and his nature.

Twin dynamics

"Sides, stop. We must talk."

Sideswipe turned back from watching his target, surprised to see his twin behind. As far as he knew Sunstreaker should have been on duty and shirking it without a god reason wasn't like him.

"What's it Sunny? I'm busy here."

"Busy with staring at Seekers? That hardly counts."

"Frag off, Sunshine."

Sunstreaker scowled, but not even the hated nickname deterred him from his purpose.

"Leave them be now. We must talk." – he grabbed a red shoulder and started to drag the loudly disagreeing and protesting Sideswipe towards their shared quarters. – "Now, before they decide to drop you again and forget to catch."

"Come on, that was almost fun."

"Not to me, it wasn't." – he knocked on the red helm heavily – "You get snuffed, you empty-headed glitch and I go too."

Sideswipe turned serious suddenly as his twin let him saw through their bond just what it felt like to see him freefalling from the sky and his processor painting him to splat on the ground. He still pouted but sat down in their room meekly enough.

"Okay, okay, I get your point. But…"

"No buts. If you wanna have a Seeker, you'll have to do something different than pranking one."

"It worked so far…" – Sideswipe grimaced.

"Worked on mechs. But them Seekers are a different breed. They'd hardly think twice to get you."

"So what else? Don't try to tell me that you have a better idea."

A wave of bitterness rose in the twin bond as Sunstreaker jumped up from the berth and turned his back to him and Sideswipe berated himself for the thoughtless sentence. True, Sunny wasn't the most social of mechs and it has always been him who courted-pranked-cornered their newest lovers. But it wasn't nice to rub it in, especially when it seemed his twin did have some sort of an idea. Sideswipe sent a wordless apology back and with gentle force turned Sunstreaker back towards him.

"Okay Sunny, I listen. What have you come up with?"

"I talked with Wheeljack a few orns back." – Sunstreaker said gruffly, still insulted – "He invented something called jetpack and was looking for volunteers to try."

Sideswipe stared blankly. – "So?"

"So you could approach them in the air, you glitch!" – Sunstreaker yelled, frustrated with his brother, so bright usually, but sometimes behaving like an ignorant and dense sparkling.

"A jetpack…? It lets us fly?"

"Yeah. Not like antigravs, but real flying. Somewhat more like the Seekers do it, or so I understood."

Sideswipe's optics flashed as he started to get the idea.

"Ohh… the Seekers'd probably be interested in a grounder trying to fly like them."

"Exactly." – Sunstreaker nodded, satisfied that he could make his red twin listen. He smirked at the suddenly interested Sideswipe and continued – "But if you make them listen, I want to participate as well. Always wanted to feel those blue wings from up close."

"Blue goes well to your yellow."

"GOLD, you colour-blind idiot!" – Sunstreaker pushed his idiot twin back a bit more forcefully than before.

"Gold then, Sunshine." – Sideswipe ducked under the half-sparked punch and laughed. He'd seek out Wheeljack a bit later. Wrestling one black servo down he grabbed a helm-fin and pinched it, never above mixing fighting with something more lewd.

"Slagger!"

Sunstreaker tripped his red brother and dumped him on their berth, lunging after as he tried to slip away. Throwing himself on top of him, Sunstreaker held the wriggling frame down and his servos grabbed the other's over his helm. Rubbing his interface panel onto the red plating he heard the lustful moan taking the place of the snarling.

"Maybe we should… practice before catching Seekers…" – he murmured, muffling the answer with a deep kiss.

In the air

The Seekers sat in loose circle in their hangar that they called nest and Starscream was teaching Skyfire to speak in the way the mechs did, patiently correcting his pronunciation and explaining the words. As Sideswipe approached them, Skywarp looked up, but the rest of the Seekers didn't bother to stop their activity. Even to the frontliner it was obvious that the youngest Seeker was bored, his shifting stance, wings twitching and servos playing absentmindedly with a small toy told clearly that he wasn't interested in the topic. But he didn't leave, much as he'd've wanted to.

"Excuse me?" – Sideswipe knew them enough to direct his interrupting question to the trine-leader, Starscream.

"Yessss?" – Starscream narrowed his optics at seeing him, wings lifting up and flaring in a manner looking threatening to even the grounder mech. Obviously he'd recognized him as the one pranking their third before.

"I was hoping that you could help me with something."

Sideswipe approached them cautiously, making no threatening move towards the twitchy Seekers. In fact he showed his servos palm up, like he saw one of them do once, in a gesture he hoped meant nonthreatening.

"Hælp you? How?" – Starscream was surprised.

"I want to learn flying."

Sideswipe was more than a bit insulted when his utterance caused loud, twittering laughs erupting from all Seekers, complete with suddenly shushing and flapping wings. Skywarp was particularly seized with howling mirth, the black Seeker grasping his blue mate's arm so he wouldn't fall with laughter. Even the even-tempered, laid-back Skyfire smiled widely with them, never having heard such an idea from a grounder before and his great wings vibrated with mirth.

"You groundersss. No vingsss. No flying." – Starscream announced slowly, after he could silence his own laughter, like speaking to a dense youngling. He measured up the red frontliner carefully as he stood there, apprehensive but determined.

"But I have a jetpack." – Sideswipe was almost insulted enough to leave but he collected the remains of his pride and stayed. He wanted to fly and he wanted the Seekers. It was enough incentive to swallow being laughed at. – "It is like your thrusters, providing propulsion to fly and it has small wings to glide or steer too."

Starscream didn't understand the technical terms, but he got the gist of the sentence instinctly. Suddenly interested, he stood and circled the red mech, looking at the somewhat bulky pack attached to his back plates, warbling hesitantly at it. The other Seekers also quietened seeing his interest.

"Sssshow!" – he demanded, wanting to see it and understand the words. – "Point me thusssterss and proppussson."

Sideswipe identified the parts for him, cautiously firing up the thruster pack so it wouldn't take him up yet, just showing how it worked. – "Propulsion means the force that lets you go up in root mode."

The Seeker poked the pack, cocking his dark helm to the side when the smallish wings folded out. For a flier they looked pitiful, more like toys than real wings, barely coming out from the two sides of the red shoulders.

"Wingsss too sssmæll." – he criticized, making a motion to grab one but stopping suddenly. He looked back to his mates, noting that Skywarp was growling again and refrained from touching the wings. No matter that this was a grounder and the wings looked laughable, they were still wings – of a sort - and Seeker instincts ran deep. – "Why ssso sssmæll?"

"Well, Wheeljack said they'd give enough lift. I don't know how he calculated it, but I want to try."

Starscream looked back to Skyfire, still eager to learn speaking and Skywarp jealous of… well, about everyone really at this point and made a quick decision. Trilling to his mates teach/youngling/fly, he pointed to the red frontliner. Thundercracker could handle the grounder and Skywarp would enjoy flying far more than sit on his aft and watch Skyfire to learn new words. He cut off Thundercracker's hesitant protest youngling/negative/grounder with a sharp gesture and asked Skywarp fear/grounder/query. At the black Seeker's helmshake and flaring wings he turned to the mech again.

"My mætesss vill teach you fly."

Sideswipe couldn't dare to show his satisfaction at the idea, just nodded at him and grinned to the standing and approaching Skywarp. It was perfect and he didn't even have to do anything for the arrangement. The implied insult that the Trine-leader entrusted him to his mates instead of teaching him himself, completely avoided his attention.

"Sorry for the prank last time." – he told the Seeker and then smiled at him a bit nervously, remembering that he was the one who still didn't understand most of their speech – "I sure hope that you don't hold grudges…"

"Ssskyvarp not ængry." – the blue one, Thundercracker answered while Skywarp trilled back to him something that Sideswipe didn't understand but didn't sound angry. More like laughing in a way. – Come."

Sideswipe realized that it would be difficult to learn from them with the language barrier. But he followed them to the outside door, leaving Starscream sit back to the big shuttle-Seeker, apparently not paying them any more attention. His attention was completely captured by the swaying black wings in front of him, so much so that he didn't notice the blue Seeker watching him with drawn orbital ridges and increasingly flaring wings.

"Sssidesss vænna fly or fasse?" – the question was blunt, not the least because Thundercracker's grammar wasn't extensive enough for more elaborate ideas but it brought up Sideswipe short, stopping and looking at Thundercracker with a slight blush that few mechs could elicit from him.

"Ummm… fly mainly." – he swallowed nervously and mumbled the rest – "but I wouldn't say no to facing either…"

Skywarp's trilling laugh showed that he understood enough and the bigger Seeker didn't look angry either. They also stood closer to him than ever before, making him squirm at the sight of so much enticingly swaying wings so close. It made his plating feel hot and a size too small.

"Fasse isss good. Mehsss doesssn't like ssspeak fassing. Ve vænt fasse – ve sssay ssso." – the words sounded mangled and hissing, but understandable.

"Umm… good to know." – and Sideswipe wondered just why he was feeling embarrassed. He and his twin were among the most open about interfacing in the whole crew of the Ark. But apparently that still fell short of the Seekers' straightforward approach.

He felt a questing digit sliding on the top edge of the small wings and sensors hitherto unknown fired up in a strong flare of something sensual, hot and oh so good… he turned back to see the black Seeker very close… close enough to have ideas beside flying. If he translated gestures correctly this move was as blatant an invitation as grabbing somemech's aft would be for him. The Seeker's deep red optics and smirk definitely said so.

"Ssshov jetpækk vorrrk." – the deeper voice came from his left and Sideswipe had trouble to gather his wandering thoughts. Yes… jetpack… flying… gotta pay attention… he fumbled for a klik with the newly installed components and fired the jetpack up, lifting slowly into the air. This far he'd already gone in Wheeljack's lab, making sure the thing wouldn't explode on him.

The Seekers rose with him effortlessly, making him envious of their equilibrium and ease of movement.

"Balanssse vidth vingsss! Not trusssterss!" – he heard the instruction, realizing that so far he'd only relied on the thruster's lift for his balance and didn't even consider the wings to be there too. Cautiously, Sideswipe moved the flaps, loosing his so far maintained balance and falling into an impromptu dive like a stone. Slag, he thought, not even sure where the ground was in the spin, instinctly feeding more power to the thruster pack… until strong arms embraced him out of a sudden and he felt the nauseating pull of a short spatial jump. Set down on the ground he heard the trilling laugh again from two different registers and he scowled, waiting them to finish.

"Sssidessswipe nows how vingsss vork?" – Thundercracker's deeper voice still contained the smile.

"Slag, no. That's why I came to you guys." – to rise high into the air was exhilarating and Sideswipe didn't even try to hide his excitement that was almost as strong as his lust for the Seekers.

"Mæy touch?" – Another servo hovered over his shoulder, the blue Seeker obviously less forward with touching other's wings than his mate.

"Sure. Mine are not that sensitive than yours… I think."

Thundercracker started to explain how wings worked in a broken Cybertronian and with lots of display from the cooperative Skywarp when he run out of words. It was difficult lesson and Sideswipe didn't even get everything for the first time, but his next rising to the air was a more successful affair. He'd even managed to change his trajectory, going for a short while horizontally instead of just a vertical rise. That it ended a steep dive and a crash he'd almost expected.

The important thing was that by the end of the lesson, called by Ratchet, shooting him dark glowers, the Seekers both felt comfortable around him – and he got to grab those enticing black wings a few times under the pretense of learning how flaps and ailerons moved. Skywarp on the other servo learned that for grounders the faux wings were definitely not as sensitive as theirs and he achieved better reactions by grabbing a wheel-well or a headlight than pawing those uselessly.

Grounder/wing/useless he sang to Thundercracker, a short, lewd trill denoting what kind of uselessness he meant; the blue Seeker shrug a wing back and answered with grounder/different. Skywarp laughed a brief note and sang back colour/nice/like. Sideswipe knew from the gestures that he was the topic but since he couldn't understand their singsong language, he didn't know what it was about.

"Uhmmm... could you tell that to me…?"

Thundercracker looked at him with those dark red optics and Sideswipe nearly shuddered. The Seekers looked far more dangerous since nothing could curb their natural aggression and instincts, especially when they felt like defending each other. But after a tense klik the blue Seeker answered in his deep, hissing voice, a sudden and unexpected smirk lightening his visage.

"Skyvarrrrp likesss not yoursss vingsss."

"Ohhh… great… thanks." – Sideswipe felt a tiny bit insulted, even though said wings were not really his, per se, just tools to lift him up in the air. – "Not every mech can have wings like yours…"

But the Seeker continued, like he hasn't heard the red frontliner's words.

"But Skyvarrrp likesss yourss kolor." – he paused for a klik nearly visibly trying to find the words – "I likesss you too… but not the prænksss."

"Uhh… sorry about those again… I prank every mech around, it's like a game."

Sideswipe wasn't sure about the glance that passed between the two Seekers but it sure wasn't angry or inimical. Not with Skywarp still smirking at him in a faintly disturbing way… the red twin shuddered inwardly to recognize the grin as similar to his own, the way he was observing his next target, usually a minibot. So far he hasn't been on the receiving end of such a stare and intent behind it. The black Seeker suddenly looked far more devious and not in an aggressive way…

"Kome."

The two Seekers suddenly surrounded him, wings shushing and clawtips sliding sensually on his plating, leaving tingling tracks behind. Their hangar – what they called nest – was just ahead and Sideswipe wondered how they got here so fast. Then he remembered how Skywarp got his designation and that was his last coherent thought for a while.

On the ground

"masssh?"

"No! Ssssæy like thisss: Mechsss!" – Starscream repeated the word again, enjoying the teaching just as it was good practice for him too. – "Them mechsss don't understænd usss. Ssssay ve ssspeak hisssing."

Autobot/sing/flat, Skyfire answered to him after trying and giving up expressing it with the few words he so far learned.

"Autobotsss don't sssing. They ssspeak. We sssing."

Sing/negative/ever/query Skyfire asked, not even able to imagine the concept. He lifted both large wings in a shocked surprise, casting a glance to the other Seeker sitting opposite to him. His right wing twitched towards Starscream, like on his own and the big flier nearly sank in embarrassment at the involuntary movement.

"Sssome sssing. Like Jæsss." – Starscream paused, flicking a wing absentmindedly in a nonchalant answer – "Jæss sssinging isss different."

"Hov ssso?" – Skyfire proudly employed the expression he heard so many times now that he understood its meaning.

"Mechsss' sssongsss full of ekssson. Thingsss they do. Not thingsss they feel." – Starscream canted the nearer wing minutely towards Skyfire, curious of the reaction. The topic they were talking about suddenly took a lesser importance even as they continued to talk and sing aloud - "Ssstarscream likesss Jæss voisss but not the sssongsss."

Mechs/voice/good, Skyfire agreed, similarly preoccupied from the topic. He shifted on the stool where he sat and his servo started to beat a rhythm on his tight plating before he realized it and curled up the errant digits into a fist. It was nearly impossible not to lift it and see what he'd get for touching the Trine leader's proud wing… but the white Seeker collected himself with some difficulty and stayed the adventurous servo. He couldn't help the staccato purring of his engine though and he was fairly sure that his optics caught a fleeting smile on the dark faceplates.

The previous topic was forgotten as the two Seekers played out the ages old dance. Wings shushed and twitched, turbines purred excitedly and nervously, servos moved and signaled things neither of them could say yet. Thrustered heels tapped on the ground and optics darted to catch each movement while trying to remain visibly disinterested. They both still sat on their stools, not going any closer to each other, but the air between them slowly started to fill up with a strange tension.

Starscream turned slightly to the side and flexed his wings backwards in a way so they caught the best lighting, the warm white of the overhead lights sliding on the red stripe proudly. He almost felt the admiring gaze roaming all over them, the first barely audible purr of the mighty interstellar engines growing stronger by the klik. His servo played with the cube, the remaining mouthful of energon in it sloshing as the talons turned the vessel this way and that, showing off their deadly sharpness. Starscream noted with satisfaction that the blunt, white digits twitched closer and had entertained naughty thoughts as to what they would be good for.

Skyfire's optics were nearly glued to the curve of the dark throat with those sensual but strong cables on it when Starscream lifted his helm and bent it slightly backwards in a seemingly nonchalant stretching movement. The blue optics seemed to acquire a fire in their depths as they feasted on the sensuous display and Skyfire felt that fire warm his spark as well. He very much hoped that the other two trine-mates would in time approve of him more… that Starscream did he had no doubt, not after the display he put on. He was just about to shift his stool a tiny bit closer when…

"I hope that I'm not disturbing anything…?"

The deep voice that intruded to their charged little universe was like cold acid rain on their heated flirting. Skyfire's engine gave an angry throb and he flexed his wings up to their fullest extent, while Starscream reacted even stronger. The tricoloured Seeker jumped onto his thrusters and his claws were flexed out in an unmistakably threatening manner towards the unexpected visitor, growling low from his vocalizer.

He stopped himself with a great effort just before his talons would rip into the warm metal in front of him… but almost straight away his posture wilted, the claws were pulled back and his wings lowered as he realized the intruder as their de facto flock leader, Optimus Prime. Skyfire was even more frightened – the memories of punishments were far more recent in his mind.

"Sss…sorry…" – Starscream mumbled, torn between the impulse to show obedience and contrition to the Autobot leader and his standing and worth to Skyfire. He hitched up his wings again, reasoning that the grounder would not understand it anyway, showing boldness that he hardly felt and stepped protectively in front of the cowering shuttle.

"No, it is me who should say sorry, as I have intruded at your place." – Optimus Prime was no fool and understood well enough both the fliers' anger at his entry and the subsequent fear at their own reaction. He held up his servos, palms outward and up to show that he meant no threatening them.

The Seekers had ever right for their privacy and every reason to be afraid of showing aggression towards their former masters. Since his last talk about Prowl, he understood a bit more the complex situation the fliers were in; the trine was a unit with Starscream heading it, but part of the flock too, of which he was the nominal leader. He also understood that it was unnatural for the fliers, who generally didn't have such multi-tiered society, with each flock or trine independent in the nature.

"Our nessst… isss in yur nessst." – Starscream hissed still in front of Skyfire, the big flier still uneasy and fearful behind him, warbling quietly.

"But I should have announced my coming and I promise to do so in the future."

Starscream looked blank at that, not even recognizing the concept. Nodding his helm to the side, calming down slightly as his curiosity overwrote the angry reaction, he pondered.

"Isss… thisss thæt politenesss thing too?"

"Yes." – Optimus Prime was sure that he was disturbing the fliers, just not sure what he could do about it. – "I came to ask Skyfire about continuing to carry my mechs if needed."

Starscream shuddered strongly at the idea, wings shaking in a sinuous motion as they dipped and rose back up in distaste. To have others inside him while flying, living, moving mechs in his hold, stomping on his inner plating… it was an atrocious idea as far as he was concerned. He glanced at Skyfire, the mech not used to say no to their masters, nor now to their flock leader. The big flier was upset by the idea too, but somewhat resigned as well, having fulfilled that function many times before.

But his status was now a questionable thing among the Autobots and the Seekers too. Starscream had no say in his decision, not yet, not until he either joined the Trine, mated with Starscream… either of which was unlikely to come soon if his own trine-mates' reactions were any indication. So, as of now, the flier had to decide the matter for himself and it wasn't likely that he could say no. Still, shrugging a wing, Starscream stepped aside from his position in front of the shuttle, letting him face Optimus Prime. He noted the raised brow-plate of the mech, not understanding their relationship, but he wasn't going to elaborate on that part. He tried to give Skyfire a bit more time and some support though.

"Do you underssstænd what your æsssking?"

A bemused expression appeared in those blue optics, the faceplates hidden by the mask.

"What do you mean, Starscream?"

"It isss an abominæssson. Disssgusting."

"But… I can carry mechs in my hold too." – The big mech told them and was surprised by the strong shudders from both fliers – "I take it that you don't consider it the same thing…"

"Sssekersss are not made to carry mechsss."

"But shuttles are."

"Ssskyfire isss no sparklesss shuttle!" – Starscream raised his voice again, clearly agitated and even Skyfire looked disturbed as he looked from one of them to the other, following the discussion with difficulties. – "Ssskyfire isss Ssseker!"

"I didn't say he is sparkless. But he is a shuttle now... isn't he?"

"Sssekerrr!" – Skyfire's deeper voice joined in their argument, cutting them both off.

He hitched his wings up indignantly. He understood that the Autobots saved his life with the reformat to a shuttle-frame and he accepted it so far, mainly because he had no other choice – but now, among other Seekers, especially around Starscream, it was an important point to clear that he was still a Seeker, no matter the frame. He had virtually no chance to win the tricoloured Seeker as a mate if he was degraded in the optics of his trine-mates and being considered a mere shuttle, transporting other mechs, grounders inside was definitely a debasing notion that he didn't need.

Optimus Prime knew that he was missing something that made the two Seekers so agitated about the idea he presented – he just didn't know what. He'd came to them thinking that it was just a matter of politeness to ask Skyfire about his continuing services – but now he had to consider losing their only aerial transport with both fliers apparently feeling strongly enough against it to protest.

Not that he would order the Seekers to obey, no matter how they needed his help. Once their sentience was decided, the Prime considered them exactly the same way as his Autobots; his soldiers, but their own mechs besides. Just as he wouldn't order them to do something they considered against their world-view, he wouldn't do it with the Seekers either. Of course he'd do a lot to convince Skyfire about the importance of his help before loosing the shuttle. Leaving the fliers to their conversation, or rather singing, he sought out Prowl, who seemed to understand the Seekers the best.

"I just don't get it. Skyfire never protested against transporting us until now."

"We rather discouraged them from protesting anything." – understatement of the vorn from Prowl – "I doubt that they'd enjoyed the cages either."

"True that. But now they seem to consider the matter as particularly important. I wonder why?"

"Maybe it's the presence of the other Seekers." – Prowl multitasked marvelously. Talking to the Prime hasn't even slowed him down in filing reports – "They had a complex society as Starscream told me. Social status is very important for them."

"While Skyfire used to be the only flier in Ultra Magnus's forces, so he didn't have to care about his status."

"Precisely. Besides as slaves, they all had the same rank. Or lack of it." – Prowl noted – "But now there are the four of them and Skyfire who he has no Trine or mate is automatically lower in the social ladder. Being made to transport grounders would lower his status even further."

"That's logical. Unfortunate for us, but it is likely the reason."

Prowl put down the datapads and steepled his digits together. He pondered for a few nanokliks, his battle computer assessing all the data he learned from the Seeker.

"Maybe we can help him in this."

"How?"

"His ability to leave the atmosphere is considered a specialty by the other Seekers, one that makes him more valuable. Maybe we can play on that and have him impress Starscream's Trine with a few offworld missions first."

Optimus Prime's blue optics flashed over his mask in merry and he answered with an unseen but there smile – "You truly understand them Prowl."

"Not fully, but I find their society fascinating and Starscream likes to talk about it." – he didn't mention his still-lingering guilt stemmed from his actions so many megavorns ago.

"Meaning that we should all make an effort to understand them better…" – Optimus Prime nodded, the smile disappearing – "I will endeavor to do so in the future. We owe them a lot… thousands of vorns worth of maltreatment. The least we can do is to learn their way of life."

"There is one more angle to consider. Starscream told that Seekers never sparked in captivity, even though Shockwave tried to force that issue with the Decepticon Seekers. But with the amount of interfacing they do now it will be only a matter of time before one of them is sparked."

Optimus Prime looked shocked. – "I don't suppose they use any kind of prevention…"

"Highly unlikely."

"I don't think we are ready for families here, in the middle of the war. Ratchet will be torqued. Red Alert too. And if they have sparklings… how many of the others will want too…?"

"I do not believe that these concerns even crossed their processors. They rather live in the present."

"We'll have to talk to Starscream about it. Can you…? I mean you are the one they accept the most."

"I believe that this is a matter they wouldn't take kindly if I tried to bring up. Their society is highly hierarchical, with you as the 'flock leader' on top as things stand now. Starscream would be slighted if anyone else but you brought up such a serious matter to him."

Prowl saw the frustrated glance that the Prime threw at him and inwardly he smiled, carefully hiding his mirth from the bond with Jazz. Let Optimus learn how embarrassing it was to try and converse such a topic with the Seekers who found no shame in calling matters as they were instead of paraphrasing.

The two officers has just left Prowl's office to gather their evening cube when they saw Sideswipe… ambling on the corridor. The frontliner was definitely on the strange end of the scale with his half-dazed expression, loose limbs barely propelling him forward, swaying from side to side and the curious little smile on his lipplates. He didn't even notice the two officers stepping aside and watching incredulously as he ambled by.

"Sideswipe…? – Optimus Prime's voice was concerned – "Is everything… all right?"

Sideswipe looked up, turned back to observe them, obviously surprised to find them so close.

"Yes Sir! Everything is just… peachy, Sir!" – and he was off with a motion Optimus Prime hesitated to call skipping.

He and Prowl stared after him nearly frozen for a breem, nearly shocked by the answer and the way it was delivered. Prowl was the first to shake off the shock.

"I do believe that I saw black and purple paint streaks on Sideswipe's backside."

"But no Autobot has those colours… ohhh."