Work Text:
Still no message.
Starscream subspaced his holopad with a dismissive flick of his wrist. He opened the door to his habsuite and began his journey to his office.
It had been three weeks since his last letter from Rodimus. Starscream wasn't vain, or, well, that vain to expect a message every day. But he had come to wait for the endearing ritual that was reading Rodimus's lavish quirky missives sent to Starscream each week. They usually highlighted strange happenings among the crew, whatever silly thing Rodimus managed to convince Ultra Magnus to do, or even mundane things such as who the gossip was favoring that week. It was colorful description of what Starscream would usually consider bland and not worth his time. But from Rodimus, he enjoyed each word.
So, to say that he was a bit put out to not receive anything for a few weeks may be a slight understatement. If Starscream wanted to be ignored he could find that right on Cybertron, thank you very much.
Starscream briefly worried that maybe something happened to Rodimus, but immediately brushed the thought away. Rodimus could take care of himself. And since when was Starscream, chosen Chancellor of Cybertron, the type to fret over a cocky captain? Such a thing could be considered pathetic.
Maybe Rodimus simply... Forgot.
Well, THAT certainly didn't sting to think about.
Starscream lengthened his strides as he approached the ornate doors. He would get some work done. Maybe subtly ask someone who had friends on the lost light to get an update on its whereabouts afterwards.
He walked to his desk. The rodimus star he kept in his office, propped proudly on its tiny stand, faced toward his seat so it was kept slightly less ostentatious. It was the only one he kept in his office, but Rodimus delighted in sending them for every reason that he could think of. Starscream kept himself from smiling fondly, but only just.
As he sat in his chair he thought about maybe sending Rodimus a message unprompted, which he rarely did because he simply didn't have the time. Check up on things, tell him about the hilarious incident with the ambassadors from Velocitron that previous week. Rodimus would get a kick from how almost ‘exhibitionist’ they were at a meeting. Rodimus always did want to pull a prank like that. Starscream was too professional, but he couldn’t say he was never tempted from time to time if only to scandalize Optimus Prime.
Just before he was going to write up his thoughts, Rattrap comm’d him.
"Hey boss, there's a uh. We've got a transmission in that might be important." Rattrap said, his hologram face averting Starscream’s.
"Bad news?" Starscream narrowed his eyes. This was souring his already melancholy mood.
"Er," rattrap fiddled with his hands, "Haven't watched it yet but it’s from an unknown location, out in deep space in the direction the Lost Light was last heard from. But that was weeks ago."
Starscream rose from his desk. Despite just sitting down, he was ready to head over.
"I'm on my way Rattrap, don't play the transmission without me there." He nearly skipped out of his office, only just pausing to make sure his door was secured shut.
His attitude lightened considerably. This must surely be some video message from Rodimus. He must have gotten caught up in a grand and wacky adventure that needed to be told just so. It has happened occasionally, Starscream would get a transmission from Rodimus where he was bubbling over with enthusiasm and battle scars and he didn't want to send a digital letter, he wanted to tell it himself. Generally it didn't take Rodimus three weeks to get back on track, but these things do happen. Of course, Starscream would get to be the first to be notified of Rodimus’ survival and heroic deeds.
However, Rattrap would have probably saw if it was from Rodimus. No matter. Starscream refused to worry. He can deal with it once he gets there. He couldn’t rely on Rattrap to give him all of the information, after all.
He made it to the control room in record time. Rattrap spun from the console with a "Hi boss" and Scoop also turned to watch starscream enter.
"Now what do we have here?" Starscream waved his arm to the screen in a ‘go on’ motion, his barely perceptible good mood showing through. "Play the transmission."
Rattrap turned the screen on.
Nautica, one of the Camiens aboard the Lost Light, appeared on screen. Starscream’s mood dropped immediately, not least because she seemed very injured and distraught. Suddenly, he thought that this might be very bad news indeed.
Then, she spoke.
"Last words? Ha. Don't get your hopes up...."