Original opening scene for Chapter 17

This scene was composed when I'd initially intended to start the chapter with a fight starting between Cliffjumper and Starscream

"What the frag are you doing here, Seeker?!"

Ironhide looked up from the target practice he'd been doing to see Cliffjumper standing just inside the doorway of the Training Room. In front of him, staring down coldly, was Starscream.

Ironhide kept his own gaze impassive as he watched the scene. He hadn't been in the same room as Starscream since he'd sent him out on that mission nearly fifty orns ago. Not that he'd really expected to, he reflected. Like Prowl, he'd thought the mech had deserted when he'd heard those reports, and good riddance.

Then Hound had turned up in the medbay, something Ironhide had learned when he'd come in to get a shoulder worked on where he'd damaged some of the struts, and had seen Ratchet operating on the scout. The mech was covered in dents from head to toe, and it looked like his hologram disruptor had been half taken off. When Ironhide had asked what happened, since it wasn't like Hound to tick off anyone that bad, not to mention there'd been no reports of Hound taking any serious injury in that mission he'd just returned from, Ratchet's mouth became a thin line. Finally, after a couple of kliks, he lifted his head and said with a flat tone: "Ask Jazz."

Ironhide didn't ask anymore questions, but he did wonder just what exactly had caused Jazz to get so slagged off that he'd either beat Hound or have the beating ordered. He'd known Hound had argued with Jazz just before that mission, but had thought Hound had been gone long enough for the silver mech to have calmed down.

Then, shortly after that brief exchange in the medbay, Jazz and Mirage had headed off for that mission. Soon after, it came to light that Hoist was also missing and Ratchet was being closed-mouthed on that. And to make things more interesting, neither Hound nor Trailbreaker would say anything about what had caused the green mech to be beaten. Had sure made for a lot of gossip once that was known.

Started to get bogged down at this point, so abandoned this angle.

Snippet scene from Chapter 20

Follows the conversation in Chapter 20 between Starscream and Mirage

For several kliks after he left, Starscream just sat leaned back in his seat, staring at the ceiling of the Commissary. The voices still swirled around him, but Starscream was no longer listening, too lost in his thoughts to pay attention.

So the Decepticons knew. And, if he was reading in-between the lines correctly, they were making their own plans to leave...

Primus.

Starscream sipped his energon. He didn't know what he should do. Being in stasis carried its own risks, with every possibility of going off-line if the facility was attacked, or just from neglect. Staying awake to hold the line also courted deactivation, also. Not to mention there was no way to know just how long the Ark would be gone...

But would it be worth it? To be stuck on a ship with mechs who by and large didn't give a slag about him? He knew Perceptor wasn't going, from a few things he'd let slip. Wheeljack was, though...So were Prime and Ratchet...

The tri-color shook his head, and finished his ration. Some choices. And if Mirage's news was any indication, he might have less time than he thought to decide his course of action...

*ping*

With a frown, Starscream turned on his internal comm. ::Starscream here.::

::Hey, Starscream!:: Hoist replied. ::Wheeljack and Prime said you wanted to see the Ark when it was done.::

Starscream's optics widened. He'd nearly forgotten that request to Prime he'd made at the time he'd given the coordinates. ::I did::, he confirmed to the other mech. ::I take it it's done?::

::Yep!:: came back the cheery response.

Got to this point before I realized it didn't feel right, so shifted gears.

Original opening scene for Chapter 21

So this is your decision?" Optimus Prime asked the mech in front of him.

Starscream nodded. "It is."

The Autobot leader frowned behind his mask. As much as he'd found himself hoping that the jet would accompany him, he'd also known it wouldn't be a good idea to force the issue should Starscream decide otherwise. Nor would he have blamed him if he had decided against going, given the memories of his last expedition and the aftermath. His hatred of the Senate and Science Council (even after all this time) had been clear to Optimus when he'd put the question to Starscream for the coordinates of those worlds. Forcing the Seeker to go, he'd known then, would break the trust that Starscream had placed in him so long ago. He might forgive the manipulations Optimus had used from time to time to get him to see the big picture or calm his rage, but forcing him to do what he didn't want to do would certainly be seen as an unforgiveable offence. Plus, there was still the matter of how the other Autobots saw him. While some had come around over the vorns to at least respect his fighting ability, many still hated him and the fact he was allowed to remain in the core army. He'd related his thoughts on the matter to Jazz when the spy had asked about it, and the spy had agreed it was best not to force the issue.

Speaking of which...

The Autobot leader leaned forward. "Starscream, I've heard from Jazz that Mirage approached you on this matter."

Starscream nodded. "He did." The jet frowned. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I made it clear that Special Ops was not to approach you in regards to going on board the Ark. Mainly, they weren't to pressure you in any way. Jazz agreed to this," the Autobot leader replied, his tone as neutral as he could manage. Jazz had told him that Mirage informed him that he hadn't done so, but he wanted to hear it from Starscream as well, to be sure.

"I see." Starscream gave a thin half-smile. "I can assure you he didn't, Prime. I won't deny he strongly hinted that he felt I should go, but he put no pressure on me to make a decision. That came later, after I found out from Wheeljack about who among the commnd staff was going. Among other things." There was some irritation in his voice, and Prime had no trouble understanding why.

He leaned back in his seat. "I do apologize for not saying something sooner, Starscream. The reason for my silence was simply so that you didn't feel like I was pushing you into a decision if you didn't want to go along on the mission. Nothing more or less. I did intend to speak to you about it before we left, to prepare you in that instance. There was no malicious intent."

Starscream gave a soft snort and looked away.

Optimus just shook his head. "It is the truth, Starscream," he said firmly. "And I think you know that."

Another thin smile appeared on his face as he looked back towards the Prime. "I do. It doesn't mean I have to like it," he replied.

"No, you don't," the red and blue mech agreed. "But I only ask you try and accept it."

The other mech grimaced. "I'll try," he whispered. "All I can promise."

Was around here I realized I needed to check something in chapter 20 to see if it meshed and realized that I'd gotten not just that, but a few other details wrong. Had to come back and scrap this, following it up with a rewrite.