Doc Bell

TEXT: Starscream is no stranger to burning bridges. In her early life she fled from vocation to vocation, escaping inter-polity trading to a promising scientific apprenticeship, before eventually washing up in the last place that would take her; Cybertron’s military. Despite the political tension, she assumed this would be an intelligent career choice, as she didn’t foresee Cybertron’s multi-millennia era of peace ending anytime soon.

When the Council of Primes authorized the formation of the paramilitary Autobots, Starscream graduated from a technical officer to a squadron co-commander. Her sharp charisma and quick thinking made her formidable, but her temperament often landed her in trouble with her superiors, relegating her to reconnaissance and security work. She found this unbearably dull. Dissatisfied with her place in the Autobots, both materially and philosophically, it wasn’t long before the prospect of defecting occurred to her; when the opportunity presented itself in the form of a first lieutenant position with the Decepticons, she didn’t think twice, weaponizing her charm to recruit as many of her fellow aerial corps as possible.

In the beginning, the Decepticons seemed like a perfect fit. Starscream’s high intelligence and varied experience made her a creative combat strategist. Unleashed from disciplined military training, she developed a controlled, yet unpredictable attack style, propelling her to infamy with her enemies. Perhaps most importantly, her appeal was irresistible, and her duplicitous duende made her a natural complement to Megatron’s grandiose sincerity. For a while, things were perfect… but inevitably, like every opportunity before it, Starscream couldn’t keep herself satisfied for long.

Today, her position with the Decepticons feels more and more like a burden. Destructive spontaneity and a hot temper have soured most of her relationships with her fellow officers, Megatron most of all. Starscream’s frustration with her commander’s perceived inaction manifests in many acts of rebellion, even attempted mutinies, all of which Megatron has taken great efforts to hide from their subordinates. Once a formidable unit, the Decepticon high command has become inert, dysfunctional, and resentful.