TRANSFORMER FANFIC

THE TIES THAT BIND

AN AUTHOR'S NOTE

BY: SUNSTAR

The new titles:

It looks like a music Playlist. While we wrote this fic we listened to a lot of different music... there are many musical references in this fic and we thought it would be fitting if we titled the chapters after songs that best suited them and the story behind them.

I am giving Dictionary definitions for each: it's just my way for me to get my thoughts out - no one is being considered stupid.... bear with me.

Starscream for President has not agreed or disagreed to this particular post. Her thoughts could very well differ from mine, so this is my POV on this fic as a whole.

Ties That Bind:

Ties: To bring together in relationship; connect or unite: friends who were tied by common interests; people who are tied by blood or marriage.
Bind:To oblige, restrain, or hold, by authority, law, duty, promise, vow, affection, or other moral tie; as, to bind the conscience; to bind by kindness; bound by affection; commerce binds nations to each other.

Part One Schism

Schism: A separation or division into factions. Disunion; discord.

This Chapter is filled with splits and rifts. Starscream flying with the Coneheads turns Skywarp against him. Skywarp's attack against Starscream slightly alienates Thundercracker as well as crack's his Air Commander's head. Megatron takes note of this and realises that there are far too many cracks in his force and something needs to be done.

Part Two Weak and Powerless

Weak: Lacking physical strength, energy, or vigor; feeble. Likely to fail under pressure, stress, or strain; lacking resistance: a weak link in a chain. Lacking firmness of character or strength of will.
Powerless: Lacking strength or power; helpless and totally ineffectual. Lacking legal or other authority.

Here we see Skywarp being sentenced to die. His loyalty prevents him from attempting to save himself. He lacks the will power to defend himself more vigourously. Indeed he beat the slag out of Starscream, but he might have had real grounds for it. It was never probed deeper. Only person who witnessed the fight was Thundercracker.

Thundercracker could not convince Megatron to spare Skywarp. He felt weak and powerless against the higher authority of Megatron. Thundercracker could have done much to try to protect Skywarp, however he stood back with his comrades in arms to witness the death of his long time friend.

Megatron sees a weakness in the chain of command, he feels that there needs to be an example set and decides that Skywarp is to pay the price for his insubordination and assault. I personally feel that Megatron intended to kill Skywarp. I do not think he would go to that sort of extreme to humiliate the Seeker. However, if he was trying to humiliate Skywarp he did a damn good job. Megatron is afraid that this whole incident will set the Decepticons back if it is not resolved. Perhaps he sees that the only way is to take out the weak link. Skywarp is not known for his brightness and he is known to antagonise Starscream.

Starscream's present condition applies very well to this title. He is weak from his injury and it takes him almost too long to realise what was about to happen. After he manages to knock Dirge down and hurt himself further, he attempts to make amends but he is unable to get through to the terrified Skywarp. His condition worsens and he has to be dragged back to the repair bay. See where I am going with this? I don't want to write a whole ten page essay on this chap alone.

Part three Solace

Solace: Comfort in sorrow, misfortune, or distress; consolation. A source of comfort or consolation.

Thundercracker's big chapter. He is trying to heal the schism between his Wingmates but he worries much for his friend and tries to comfort Skywarp to let him know that he is not alone and that he is there to help him through what looks like a very difficult time ahead.

He ends up as a mediator between the two.

He ends up talking to Starscream and he knows the Air Commander wishes to get things out in the open and dealt with. It's not real emotional comfort he is supplying Starscream but comfort and assistance against the pain he suffered from the attack and the physical distress he was in following the attack.

Part four Three Libras

Three: Something having three parts, units, or members, triad.
Libra: The seventh sign of the zodiac in astrology. Also called Balance, Scales.

Starscream tries to explain why he attempted to rescue Skywarp despite the harm the other caused to him. By this he refers to Skywarp as a proverbial brother. Needing to clarify he uses the Scales as a reference. Although scales have two plates there is a third part, for lack of a better term I will call it the pivot and the arm. Skywarp and Thundercracker balance each other out and Starscream holds them up and gets them going. If one part is missing then the scale does not work properly, or the balance is flipped right out of whack.

Part five Bittersweet

Bittersweet: Bitter and sweet at the same time: bittersweet chocolate. Producing or expressing a mixture of pain and pleasure. Tinged with sadness; "a movie with a bittersweet ending."

The triad join Starscream to try to forget about the events of the day and week. Starscream is notably quite agitated about this whole thing: he is not a social butterfly. The idea is sweet, get together and party in Skywarp's honour. Skywarp just wants to get drunk, pass out and forget about the horror he experienced earlier on. Party goes on really well until Megatron puts in an appearance and spoils the overall mood and as it was so aptly put; he was a kill joy.

This title can also refer to both this chapter and Cannon, this being the sweet fun chapter where the next one gets bitter again when their plot to spy on Megatron goes quite sour.

Part Six Cannon

Cannon: A large mounted weapon that fires heavy projectiles. Cannon include guns, howitzers, and mortars. To collide or strike violently, esp. so as to glance off or rebound; to strike and rebound. A great gun; a piece of ordnance or artillery; a firearm for discharging heavy shot with great force. a person superior in any way.

Megatron is who we are referring to here. I have made a huge essay on the song that his title is taken from so I will make this short.

Megatron is irate with the intrusion. He wants answers but he discovers the three drunk Seekers. He takes it upon himself to judge Starscream as immediately responsible, and true enough he is and the Seeker admits this after he is punched violently and threatened. Skywarp becomes aware of what is happening and inadvertently causes Megatron to become very angry. The Decepticon leader is very trigger happy this day and as he is about to take his wrath out on the innocent Skywarp, Starscream interferes and takes the wounding blast himself.

Part Seven The Policy of Truth

Policy: A course of action, guiding principle, or procedure considered expedient, prudent, or advantageous.
Truth: Conformity to fact or actuality. A statement proven to be or accepted as true. Sincerity; integrity. Fidelity to an original or standard.

A moment of truths and untruths

Starscream decides to let Skywarp in on his little secret, it gives him a clue as to why he has what he has on his datapad. He needs to keep his experiment's going or else lose a lot of work. Due to his injuries and such Starscream kept forgetting his lab work, Humans were not his top priority. Skywarp offered to help him and Starscream decided he would leap upon this offer and have the other Seeker check in on his creatures.

Skywarp quickly admits that he killed a couple of the humans out of anger and feels guilty for perhaps damaging the Air Commanders work. This took a huge amount of guts, I believe, on Skywarp's part to own up to killing the humans, Starscream could have seriously flipped out on him. He has gained some respect in his superior from the actions of the past couple of days. Skywarp promises to help Starscream out, and the Air Commander intends to pay him with energon for his work. It's a done deal.

Now comes the problem of Thundercracker. It is known that the other Seeker does not mind humans, he is not happy when they are harmed pointlessly. I guess it's kind of a 'pick on someone your own size' attitude. The Autobot—Decepticon war does not involve them. He would be disappointed that Skywarp is getting involved with such cruel experiments, that Skywarp ruthlessly pulped two humans for fairly insignificant reasons.

Starscream's earlier message to Skywarp finally sank in and the meaning became clear. He would have to spin a lie to Thundercracker in order to keep the triad stable and balanced. But it makes him wonder on the policy he has taken.

Over all:

SFP and I have differing views on TF universe. My view of the universe extends only until Ghost in the Machine where everything else after that is irrelevant.

SFP does not acknowledge the Movie. Ergo: Autobot and Decepticon activities remain more or less unchanged in near and far future years. It is a bit contradictory but when you co-write you learn to make compromises. We have plans in the works for another fic that we also want to tie into this one.

This fic is tied quite heavily into Seeker of Vengeance however the last chapter does not apply to SoV.

The Ties That Bind - The Policy of Truth