Inverted Insignia Chapter 22 Shadows

Shadows
Inverted Insignia

Later that evening: North Vos.
Starscream found himself in front of the ancient building he once had, up until a little over a decade before, called home.

It was unoccupied, and locked. A sold sticker was stuck across the door. The sticker was faded and curled at one corner, it had become a little yellow tinged, but the colours were still stood out.

The building was in a better part of Vos. North of Starlight Avenue, in an area where the middle classed people lived. A community of low lying structures before it got to the heart of the city where the tallest buildings would be found. Being only three levels it was short by Seeker standards; however, only the wealthiest fliers had lofts located on skyscrapers. Starscream had worked hard to get the credits together to own the small building, but when it came down to an extended absence, he lost it. Not enough credits were saved to keep payments up.

The loss of his home made Starscream one of the homeless unfortunates. It was this status that was one of the driving forces that compelled him to join the military. He could have a home while he lived and a dignified burial if he died. He would be supplied food and equipment while he served as well as some credits in payment. While he went to academy he could learn new trades and skills that could help him buy his way through life should he survive the war, as well as a pension.

“Hello, my old friend,” the youth whispered as he placed his palm on the railing that lined the steps leading up to the door.

Starscream glanced at the cast bronze metal mouldings that bordered the doors and windows then admired the beautiful brackets that supported a gently sloped roof. The building was built in an more archaic time, when ornate architecture was in its zenith. Modern buildings tended to have more curves, rounded  lines and much less ornate. The modern designs were more practical and  more functional. it Seemed as if the old artisanal ways were dying out; The golden age of cybertronian culture was nearing its end. The door in front of him, was heavy and highly decorated. Inset with rare metallic inlay. For a middle class structure, it had its charm. Across the door, there was an added latch and padlock.

The Seeker sighed but that was why he had a lock pickers kit. The kit came from a person he had killed several months earlier. A person who was trying to break into his foot locker.  Starscream had struck the thief so hard and so fast, the other was unable to react quick enough and Starscream had run his blade through the throat. As his prize, Starscream claimed the lock pick kit.

He leaned against the door and inserted the tools into the padlock. Quietly and swiftly he shifted them around the tumblers rolled and then clicked. He gave the lock a gentle tug downward with a twist and lifted it up off the latch. The speed of his lock picking might have been seen to others as a legitimate keyed action. A few moments later he pushed the old door open. It creaked loudly, crying out for oil and Starscream cringed.

Once the building was seized by the city. It had been sold, yet no one chose to live there, it was apparently abandoned. But someone must be paying the bills. The contents were oddly intact. Nothing appeared stolen, or removed. It was as he left it. He glanced about. Thick dust covered tables and chairs. Many were covered with drop sheets or dust covers. The young flier wondered if he could find the owner and be able to purchase it back, but the location was fairly high end, it would still cost him a fortune and he was certain he could never own it on his pitiful wages. Still, he could dream. Starscream glanced about, he could always make riskier wagers in the pits. It would make sense, if he lost the bet, he could not have to worry, because he would, in all likelihood, be dead.

He walked into the recharge chamber. Sounds came into his mind, sounds of singing and music. Against the wall was a large musical instrument, similar in structure to a cello. Next to it was a smaller instrument like a small violin. He could hear the tones of the instruments as if they were playing. He felt haunted. His wings stretched out and he attempted to feel the air with his sensitive surfaces. Could he detect the vibrations of the past? But the only feeling he could receive was the gentle fall of disturbed dust settling.

He looked around and found a framed image, laying face down on a table. He picked it up and inhaled deeply as he studied the familiar features of a light blue and lavender Seeker. She was beautiful in terms of their kind. Bright blue optics, soft white complexion with a cheeky smile.
He frowned deeply. He put the picture down and left the room and then spun around punching the wall, leaving a massive indentation.

As his fist impacted the wall, cried out a singular word, “Aurora”. It was a cry filled with pain, hurt and tremendous anger. He turned around and went back in to take the picture and stash it away. A small article fell out of the frame, he picked it up and it read, “Aurora – renown Vos musician murdered outside Darkside Oil House.” That investigation had gone cold, just prior to him leaving Cybertron for the alien organic world with his colleague, Skyfire.

He pulled open a vent in the room and pulled out a box he had hidden in there prior to his leaving. Inside it contained papers, papers of bonding between him and Aurora, and it contained the papers of death.

Skyfire knew how badly distraught Starscream was over his mate's murder and urged the youth to fly with him to get his mind off the tragedy – at least for a while. Seemed like that idea was equally as bad, he lost his friend and his entire house of cards came tumbling down. The young flier, placed everything back and shoved it into the vent. He promised himself that he would attempt to re-acquire the property in future. Until then, he hoped that no one would find his hidden treasure.  


*  *  *

Darkstar crouched at the top of  an adjacent building. He realised he was having to use more stealth around Starscream. The cadet was learning his lessons extremely well, perhaps too well for a mere scientist. It was unfortunate that Skywarp's interference with the resistance training fouled the young flier's ability to go into that confinement chamber. He would have benefited greatly at having overcome the Seeker's greatest phobia. Yet any time they brought out the box into the flier's view Starscream's panic became difficult for the old trine to manage. In the end it became apparent that he had to be given an exemption for that particular section of training. In spite of it, Starscream did learn more about how his body and wings functioned with the sensor nodes and how to beat pain sensations in some of its worst forms.

The older Seeker watched as the youth looked around himself and took out the lock picking kit and attempted to open the door. He was successful.  Darkstar tipped his head wondering what the youth was looking for. He had over heard Skywarp implying that Starscream had a home in town, and Starscream in turn said it was seized by the city. Was it possible this old building was the home they had referred to?  

Darkstar waited for nearly an hour for the youth to exit the building, the young flier left in a hurry and jetted out of the street flying in the direction of the sonic canyons. Darkstar landed looking up at the building. He slipped his hand into a pocket and produced an old knotty looking key and inserted it into the lock. He turned the key and the tumblers clicked and rolled. He then pushed the door open and stepped inside. This building was his, he had purchased it off the city a few years ago. It was cheap, it was sold as a home owned by a missing, presumed dead, owner. Darkstar had never entered it, intending to do so after he retired from the services. He glanced around at the décor, seeing where the dust had been disturbed.

As he examined the objects he could see that this place could have belonged to Starscream at one time. It had his sort of style. It was neat and tidy, and modern looking -  well for the age the décor was over a decade out of date. Books were neatly arranged on shelves, in order. Some were texts regarding geographical formations of alien worlds, rocky planets, gas planets, Ice planets and water planets. Other texts contained information on discovered alien races, existing and extinct. And one  journal on “Mineral and Ore Composition of Guandonnaland,” bore the names Starscream and co author -  Skyfire.

He stepped into the sleeping chamber and found the picture of the female that had been dusted off and placed back. Darkstar glanced around “Oh, so there was a female at one point.” He glanced around the room and was about to leave when a tiny glint of silver caught his optic.  He reached up for the vent realising it was a good place to hide valuables. He burned with curiosity and reached up, opening the vent and taking out the box.  He lifted the lid and found the papers, he sighed realising he learned something far too private and potentially painful toward his charge. It seemed young Starscream had many secrets, and many he wished to maintain his own. Unfortunately the older Seeker violated the youths privacy in a big way. Even though he owned this property and its contents, he felt uncomfortable at the intrusion.

Losing ones mate was a huge burden of pain on the spark, one pain that Darkstar himself had understood fully. Darkstar had lost his own mate to a murder a very long time before. And understood that in spite of the length time that had past, he had never had an urge to find a new partner. He was surprised that someone so young in years would have already made a bond and have lost it to become a widower, and easily ignore the call of the species. He also realised that it was possible that Starscream himself did not desire to have his spark broken again. And if the young flier did not inform anyone of his previous mate and her death, no one would understand why he rejected them so coldly.  The youth seemed to keep some secrets well.

The older Seeker replaced the box, and carefully left the dusty building. He locked it carefully and tucked away the key.  Rather than track down the errant Seeker, Darkstar notified his own wingmates that he was returning to the Academy to finish some work and would see them there later.

*  *  *

The second moon had risen well above the canyons when Starscream arrived. It was a desolate place, few went there and there were no buildings nearby. Perhaps ancient laws that decreed that nothing should interfere with the natural airflow to the canyons. Perhaps people disliked it during storms.

How the canyons sounded depended on the windspeeds. Storms and strong winds would cause it to become distressingly noisy, while calmer days where the winds blew gently it sounded like melodies. As the wind blew across the deep chasm, some of it caught the edges of holes and cracks that were connected to a deep cave system, the cracks and holes appeared to have different tones and pitches. Some tubes caused a deep rumbling hum, which could be heard through the planet. A sort of comforting hum. It was speculated that should the hum stop, all life on Cybertron would go insane and destroy itself. While others sounded like flutes, panpipes or clarinets.

He listened to the flute-like sounds, as the wind blew across. It changed its frequency and tones depending on the strength of the winds. It was beautiful. He took his optics offline and listened, after a while he sat down on the ground then finally laid back and felt the sounds through his wings. The winds died down a little and the melody seemed to change almost to a soothing lullaby. The Seeker felt himself become groggy as his mind emptied of thoughts, shortly after he dozed off and fell into a peaceful sleep.

The moons had almost fully set and the sun was starting to colour the horizon pink as it rose. As it climbed higher and the warm rays fell across the sleeping Seeker's face, the winds changed, the canyon song became stronger, and was changing.

Startled, Starscream was on his feet glancing around, blinking and confused. He was aware he had allowed himself to become vulnerable to attack by resting in a strange, unprotected place. He took a step then paused. The hum rumbled beneath his feet and the planet sang a new melody. Its new song sounded distinctly sad. Agitated by the melancholic tones, Starscream took flight, turning his back toward the canyon and leaving it behind, he knew he would never return.  

He made his way back to the Academy, there would still be two days of leave left that he could use to his advantage.

*  *  *

The barracks were quiet, perhaps it was the best place to have been all along. Not with his wingmates at the sleazy pub, not at the dusty remains of a life long past, and not in canyons that sang songs that pulled at the spark. The Academy was safe, relatively speaking, it was home, and it was comforting to be home. He sat at his desk, and opened his books, to catch up on work. He could hear the lullaby melody of the canyons in his head. He took his optics offline and listened as he did his head lowered until he dozed off, with his nose in a text.

His dreams were full of swirling nothingness, dark faces, with dangerous weapons coming out the mists and shadows to kill him. He heard the music of the canyon change its tone to something darker,  more sinister, dirge-like, he woke up with a scream as one of the faces brought their swords down on him.

He woke up feeling a large powerful hand shaking his shoulder “Starscream,” the voice bellowed. Starscream blinked momentarily until his vision focused on the dark face in front of him. He was too confused to reach for his dagger. “Starscream, it is Darkstar. You were dreaming...”

“Just... nightmares... been a while since I had dreams,” the youth admitted.

“Been a while since you slept heavy enough for someone to approach you. Anything specific about your dreams?” the older flier asked as the youth sat up in his seat stretching his wings.

“No, I can barely remember now...” his cheeks darkened in embarrassment. “Sorry, I didn't realise you were back...I was catching on some assignments...” Starscream gestured to his books.  “I think I was also catching up on some sleep...” he added sheepishly.

“I came back shortly after you left the river. I decided I had other important things to do, rather than watch females dance dirty,” the older Seeker replied in a darker tone.

“Thought you were looking for a good time, like the others...I didn't want to go there in the first place...”

“I have been there, young Seeker, done that, and I'm alone now – I spoke to you once about that, but you were injured at the time, you might have forgotten.”

“Oh,” Starscream muttered, tipping his head deep in thought, as if trying to recall, then nodded. “I've heard that can be rough,” he glanced at his hands which were clenching in fists, “heard some can go quite insane from it too -  you're doing well?”

“I have my friends who support me, I have my projects and focuses. I keep myself busy and not think about it for the most part. I suppose I forget about it. I can go years without thinking about it. Its almost been a million years.”

“A long time...” the youth muttered.  “I am sorry, Darkstar, I don't remember this discussion at all...”

“You suffered some head injuries when we discussed this,” Darkstar replied. “You'd be hard put to recall much of anything that was said. Lets see, you said you were sparked not milled, and you had no knowledge of who your parental units were and that you were left to defend yourself. Some of the stuff I know is because you have told me yourself. You have been through a lot young, Starscream.”

“Oh...” the young flier nodded. “I don't recall saying that at all.”

“Hmm,” the older rumbled, “maybe we should get you into medbay for some more scans.”

Shaking his head quickly, “No, I am quite okay.”

“Do you want to talk about what is causing you to run from your trine?” the older flier asked.

Starscream tipped his head pensively. “No, I don't think it would help much,” the youth shrugged. “I got assignments. I should be working on them while I have those two crazies out of my airspace.”

Darkstar turned to leave then paused turning back. “Oh, by the way, Starscream, your flight instructor approached me a few days ago. They wanted to know if you'd be willing to train the first year cadets in flight, since you are the best flier the Academy has to date.”

Starscream's morose expression brightened. “Really?” Such praise was rare.

The older flier nodded. “You could do it and it would be credited toward leadership and instructors training course. Teaching recruits is an important  skill for a new officer to learn. I said you could do it if you agreed.”

Starscream nodded. “Yes, I would be honoured!” The young flier stood to attention and saluted with his fist to his chest.