A Star is Reborn: Transformers Prime *Discontinued*

A Lifetime of Trauma

(The song playing on top is something I heard from a Transformers Shattered Glass animatic about Starscream and Jetfire, and I thought it fit this chapter really well)

FLASHBACK...

Jetfire: I don't know, Star. We could get in trouble because of this...

Jetfire's voice was laced with worry as he and his friend made their way towards the Vos City hanger bay, where most of the seekers' elites and scientists depart Cybertron for business. Starscream and Jetfire were here on business, but it wasn't the type that was allowed. Starscream walked ahead of Jetfire. He turned around to face his taller companion.

Starscream: Jetfire, we could become legends if we do this. Think of it, an uncharted sector of the galaxy means planets that are rich in resources. That would benefit Cybertron in the centuries to come. That's why we need to do this. You always said to dream big, so that's exactly what we're doing.

Jetfire: Well, yeah. I did say that, but this is an unauthorized scientific expedition. If someone finds out about this, we could get expelled. Or even worse, arrested. We should leave this to the professionals. Or wait until we graduate from the academy to do it when we have authorization.

Starscream looked at his friend, his optics narrowing.

Starscream: We can't wait, Jet. The professionals would downright ignore us and not take us seriously about this, and if we wait, the resources on those planets might not last. We have to do this now. I'm helping you on that synthetic energon formula. Can you help me with this?

Jetfire looked at his smaller companion. He saw the pleading look in his blue optics. He knew that Starscream wanted to do whatever it took to help Cybertron. But still, he didn't want to get in trouble because of this. He and Starscream have been best friends for a long time now, and he always encouraged his smaller companion to dream big. Jetfire wondered if maybe if his encouragement might have caused Starscream's rise in ambition.

Starscream: Jetfire!

Jetfire snapped out of his thoughts when Starscream called his name. He looked down at his friend and gave him one response.

Jetfire: Alright. Just promise me you know what you're doing.

PRESENT DAY...

It wouldn't stop bothering her. Every time Starscream tried to have a nice power down, memories from a time long forgotten would resurface in her head and torment her. At first, she could just ignore them and move on with stuff, but it got to the point where they started happening even when she had a normal stasis nap. Starscream had tried not to think about it. She tried to avoid the issue, but it got worse and worse as time went on. Why couldn't she ignore it? She was so used to hiding how she felt and avoiding her problems, so why couldn't she do it now? The memories were of every traumatic event that Starscream experienced in the original timeline. From what happened to Jetfire, to the lab explosion and Sentinel Primes betrayal, to losing Vos and her fellow seekers, to witnessing the demise of two cybertronians that were close to her, to the millions of years of physical and psychological abuse that Megatron inflicted on her. Every single one of those events all turned Starscream into the bot she was in the original timeline. Every loss, every betrayal, and every beating molded her into that cowardly and backstabbing second in command she once was.

Starscream: *Frustrated* Why?! Why won't these stupid memories just leave me alone?! Why can't I just ignore this?!

Starscream grumbled as she laid on her recharge table. She put her clawed servos on her face and dragged them down in frustration. She looked to her right and saw the sleeping form of Swindle's alt mode resting on her counter. It had been a few millennium since Starscream had unwillingly taken in the disobedient Minicon in, having been tricked into forming a partnership with him. At first, Starscream couldn't stand being in the same room with Swindle, considering the Minicon didn't listen to anything she said. How his original partner tolerated him was a mystery Starscream will never solve. But as time went on, Starscream came to tolerate the Minicon, and Swindle came to respect Starscream and start to listen to what she has to say. Whenever Starscream had to go somewhere and Swindle wanted to tag along, he would hide inside her cockpit so no one would question Starscream, and so that Swindle wouldn't get caught, being a rogue Minicon and all. But when Starscream had to go to class, Swindle wouldn't come and would have to stay in the dorm. Whenever someone would come into the dorm when Starscream wasn't there, the Minicon would have to hide so he wouldn't get caught.