Set in season 1 of Transformers Prime, a 4 "episode" story arc not cannon for TFP Starscream and introduction to my OC's (who thus far have played a major role in the first few chapters lol - but I promise to have less of them as soon as the "hunt" begins) Rated M currently just in case but not likely to need it (aside from a few choice words or references) I want to focus on story line, action and dialogue.
Over and Out.

.-.-.

Arcee, Bulkhead, Jack and Miko are joy riding through Jasper countryside, enjoying the brief break from the Decepticons. Arcee suddenly senses an enemy bleep on her radar systems moments before a message comes through her radio.

'Arcee, Bulkhead' Ratchet says with a stern tone, 'Decepticon bogey just a few clicks south-east from your position. In flight and moving fast!'
'I see it Ratchet' Arcee confirms, and stops near some rocky cover. Their humans jump off when Arcee transforms 'At least I see it on my radar, but I don't have visual.'
Bulkhead readies his weapons, aiming at the sky for when the bogey will appear. 'Stay close Miko and out of site. Make sure you get a plenty of snaps as we crush this lonely con!'
'Already waiting for it Bulk!' Miko chirped with excitement.
'Closer...' Arcee muttered 'Closer... Come on con!'
'There!' Jack shouted and pointed. Arcee and Bulkhead moved their aim to his direction but it was only a bird. 'Sorry' Jack muttered, 'I'll shut up now.'
'THERE!' Arcee yelled and took aim, as the enemy approached. The jet flew alone but no doubt was fast. As it was closer, Arcee noted it wasn't a Vehicon. His chassis gleamed with a metallic navy blue and neon green pearl finish.
'Who are you con?' Arcee whispered under breath but everyone heard her.

'Arcee?' Ratchet called through the radio 'Do you have visual?'
'Yes Ratchet. He's circling us now. He's new too.' Arcee kept her aim on the slowly moving jet 'Just what we need - another one! What con do we know is dark blue and bright green?'
'Be careful...' the booming voice of Optimus came through her radio now 'This is not a con I know of.'
'Two of us and one of him. Easy pickings Optimus.'
'Arcee.'
'I'll be careful. Promise.'

Bulkhead watched as the jet lowered altitude, and hovered over them, Bulkhead took no chances, keeping his human in visual as she lifted her camera phone. Before she took the snap he turned and winked. 'Perfect!' she said pleased.

Arcee didn't take any chances either, with the con jet slowly lowering itself again - like it was passively getting closer to them before it intended to strike. Arcee fired a few warning shots around the lonely jet. Blue streaks shot passed it but the jet didn't flinch. Instead a compartment in his undercarriage opened and revealed a very active, well charged rail gun, while two Gatling guns on his wings, whirled around ready to fight.

'Whoever you are...' the voice came over a loudspeaker from the mystery jet – it was scratchy, yet young and surprisingly: female. 'Relinquish your weapons, or prepare to fight!'

'Hmm.' Arcee taunted sarcastically. 'Let's think about that... FIGHT-' before she finished her words, Arcee released a bombardment of high powered blast shots towards the jet, who returned fire but only from the rail gun – a string of neon green high powered blasts met head on with Arcee's blue and exploded mid-air. Arcee darted back and forth, dodging the shots as Bulkhead joined the firefight, releasing his own volley.

Miko watched on with wide eyes and camera phone in hand, but Jack realised the laser shots were getting too close. 'Miko! Let's get to safer ground!'
'No way. Look at this... GET HER BULKIE!'
'MIKO!' Jack shouted and lunged for her arm, taking it in one swoop and swinging her away from a blast of green laser that struck the very spot she was standing.
'Eh' Miko said with a nervous grin 'Maybe we should get to safer ground?'
'Why didn't I think of that?' Jack snapped before leading their run up hill to the safety of giant boulders and crevices. Both then watched the battle unfold.

There firefight was heavy, the jet agile enough to dodge each of their shots as well. Arcee was on a roll when the jet unleashed her wing guns and Arcee couldn't outmanoeuvre the spray of mini blasts. The green surge tore passed her upper arm and the femme grabbed her wound with a snarl to fight back the sting.

Bulkhead upon seeing Arcee struck roared his anger 'You get down here con, fight us like real warriors' He fired more blasts quickly joined by Arcee again but as luck had it, Bulkheads mass made direct contact with the nimble cons wing tip and she spiralled downward. Miko made sure she caught every shot of the falling jet, even as she transformed and struck the ground with a slight stumble, blue Energon seeps from her left wing and dripped to the ground.
'Awesome!' Mike whispered in awe, very proud of Bulkhead.

The enemy jumped out of the way from a further onslaught of blasts from the Autobot pair, with cat-like agility and a matching snarl, every backflip she landed was followed by a twirl and another backflip. Her acrobatics were chased by her own thick navy blue tail which assisted her balance and sudden movements. She became an impossible target to hit and unpredictable in the direction of choice she is taking.

'Frag it.' Arcee snapped 'Stand and fight you coward!'
'Ok' the jet femme purred playfully, while in the middle of a backflip. In slow motion she unlocked both arm Gatling guns and took aim upside-down. The Decepticons gun barrels just came into view, followed by her angular catlike face with distinct cheetah markings. Then her guns fired. Arcee dodged this time and advanced on the enemy with lighting speed, unlocking her arm blades in the process then charging faster. Still in the mid-air, during her backflip the cons red optics widened in fear, and she gasped. She landed but her fear made her clumsy and she stumbled. Arcee closed in, mere inches from contact, when an object wrapped around her leg and flung her away.

Arcee was airborne, cruising over Bulkhead before she crashed into the rock pile behind.

'Hah!' The jet robot shrieked with victory. 'Coward you call me? I am the mightiest Cytronian in this galaxy!' She laughed hard, holding her hands out wide – full of pride then she quickly added 'You may beg for your lives now...'
'Cy-what now?' Bulkhead asked, bewildered.
The jets face fell as her bubble of greatness fell to droplets 'Cy – eh … Cytron?'
'Where…' Arcee snarled 'Is that then?'
'WHERE?!' The feline-femme huffed her frustrations out 'Well, where you're from. Of course!'
'Cybertron – you're a MECH robot aren't you?' Acree gestured to her and Bulkhead 'We are from Cybertron. You are not.'
'Cybertron, Cytron – close enough!' The jet snapped, 'Now beg for mercy!' She held her guns at them again 'Or do you want a round two?'

Arcee and Bulkhead prepared to fire back but they needn't bothered. Bumblebee snuck up behind the con and banged her over the head with a rock.
'Argh!' The she hissed and stumbled away from her attacker, holding her head before she fell forward, dazed.
'Wait, Bumblebee. This arrogant MECH abomination is mine.'
Bulkhead folded his arms 'All MECH are arrogant abom-bin-motations.'
Bumblebee made inaudible sounds agreeing to Bulkhead, even if the wording was wrong.

'Yeah come on Arcee!' Miko called out 'Let Bulkhead take this one out!'
Jack chuckled then froze when a large shadow fell over them 'Ahh Miko…' Jack said tapping her arm nervously.
'Not now Jack… I am bartering.'
'Yeah not now…' a deep sultry voice came from behind them spoke. Miko tensed and turned to face another femme, this one taller and less feminine looking than the jet on fumbling below them. However they shared the same eyes, only this femme had had a soft silvery face surrounded by a dark violet grill with and deep green lines adorning it. On her violet chest, was a matching green Autobot symbol. When she stood tall, she easily equalled Bumblebee in height but resembled a stocky Arcee.

'if you don't mind…' she said to Arcee, who froze in shock at the sound of her voice. 'I'll appreciate you not "taking out" my nimble yet foolish comrade.'

Bulkhead gasped in awe at the femme-bot on the crest. 'Voltaegis?'
'In the steel… Bulkie." Voltaegis cooed gently as Miko's face boiled red, but the new Autobot didn't notice. 'How ya doing, mighty mech? Been a while, yeah?' Voltaegis had a voice that was seductive yet very friendly.
'Yeah. I thought you were dead?'
'Meh!' She threw her strangely delicate hands as if her death was impossible 'Decepticon captures not slowing me down, not for nothing.'

Voltaegis descended to the small gathering of Autobots, with the humans in toe – Miko closer and more scrutinising than Jack. Voltaegis bent down over Arcee and offered her hand to aid he standing. 'You'll have to excuse Artistar Guard, she's not used to … company, except me of course.'

Arcee remained silent of the new Autobots arrival, still in disbelief but the tension she felt couldn't be contained long. 'How?' The two wheeler said, as if accusing their old ally of treason.
'Listen Arcee… It was not easy, nor am I proud of what I did for the liberty to stand here today-'
'Why didn't you come back!' Arcee snapped and turned from her old friend 'And why are you hanging with this con?'
'Easy Arcee, this is Volt we're talking about' Bulkhead tried smiled and Bumblebee agreed, not wanting them to fight.
'Yeah and she was captured Eons ago by the cons, somehow she's free again and hanging around with-'
'Excuse me … ' Volt softly interrupted 'I don't go "hanging" around – I parade.' A smirk
crossed the delicate features of Volt, and Arcee sniffed back her contempt though she recognised the humour.
'If you really must know' Volt started. 'This con is no con at all. She is my daughter. Things happen, you know, when you're imprisoned for a while with the cons and no-one comes looking for you…' Volt let the statement drift off, so that it sank in to them what she had endured.
Bulkhead and Bumblebee stared down ashamed then Bulkhead spoke up 'Volt we're… we wouldn't… your signature. It disappeared.'
'Not blaming anyone here Bulkie, just getting my story out. I was cloaked you see. By this new device the cons were working on – broken now, my handiwork. But my daughter, Aristar, was not the result of capture. She came to be from my hard determination to be free of it.'

Arcee raised a brow, and then her face softened with admiration for her old friend's inner strength.
'You know me?' Volt continued 'I would do anything to get what I want, be it freedom, weaponry or victory. If I had to slut myself to freedom then so be it. I stand here today proud and still free… But by all means continue question my dedication and the young, innocent company I am with…'

They all knew this offer was not one to be taken, merely understood. Arcee nodded inally relaxed at the idea Volt was back and under no shady circumstances 'I commend your efforts Voltaegis, will not recommend your methods, but understand desperation can make you do many things.' Arcee looked at the young daughter of Voltaegis 'Do you know which con her sire is?'
Volt looked around at her daughter, who stood alone holding her arm nervously. She sighed 'Yes. But that is for another time or perhaps you will guess soon enough. She has many of his fine qualities.'

Aristar smiled brightly, happy she had her father's better qualities however she missed the sarcasm in her mother's tone, as did Bumblebee and Bulkhead but Arcee understood.

'Let's get back to base,' Bulkhead said, 'introduce little Aristar here to Ratchet and Optimus Prime'
'Yes!' Arista chirped in her high pitched rasp.
'No.' Volt said sternly. 'I have raised you to be aware of this war but not involved. Sorry my old friends. Aristar is no Autobot, nor is she a Decepticon. I will raise her as neither. Send my fondest regards to Optimus, good luck to you all oh and Bulkie... break something of Ratchets for me.'
Bulkhead laughed but his happiness was bittersweet. Like him, Voltaegis started as a Wrecker before she became an Autobot strategist - she was not as big, solid or as strong as the other wreckers- but she worked just as hard, if not harder to try and keep up with them. Many a time when they lobbed, Volt would strive her hardest to catch it like the big wreckers. More often than not she was thrown across the field, yet still she pressed on.

'Volt...' Arcee said, 'I - how I reacted. I...' Arcee sighed, frustrated at her failure to get what she wanted out 'It is good to see you again.' she finished with a deeply apologetic tone.
Voltaegis waved her hands up to dismiss it 'No scratch on my paintwork speedy.'
'No I have to say this.' Arcee pressed on 'I was angry the MECH might have been using your shell for their wicked plans, or you had turned Decepticon-' Volt sniffed back the comment of her being a Decepticon and snarled under breath before Arcee quickly added 'I know, terrible thinking. I should have known better.'

'Let's leave these recent exchanges to "It is good to see you?" and "I'll see you again" shall we?' Volt smiled politely, then gestured for Aristar to follow her.
'Agreed. Wait before you go Volt. These are our humans, we are their guardians. This is mine, Jack'
Jack waved to Volt with a small smile, 'Hi'
'And this is my human...' Bulkhead gestured to his young companion with pride 'Miko!'
'Miko... an anagram of pure awesome, bad attitude and unsharing of guardians' Mike snapped and balled her hand into a fist.

Volt stared at the young girl, unwaivered by her brash behaviour. Instead she stepped closer to Miko, overshadowing her in both stature and authority. Miko stared up at her and gulped when the giant femme spoke 'I'll be sure to remember that young Miko.' Volt flashed her classic smile 'Until next time we meet. Come Aristar - places to go, Energon to steal.'
'Aw but mothe-
'No but!' Volt snapped.
'Bleep, Bzzz, Brrrll, Wriiiilll' Bumblebee said with a surprised expression. Jack and Miko looked at each other confused and hoped someone would help translate.
'Yes, we have to steal Energon from the Decepticon mines and refineries. Doesn't come easy but of late Aristar Guard has come quite proficient in stealth, and thieving that I must admit she is very bold.' Volt gazed proudly at her daughter 'The last seven hauls came directly from the cons ship, Nemesis, just last week. Even eluded Soundwaves scans. I suspect because she carries a Decepticon signature, it takes longer for her as an intruder to be noticed and we don't take large quantities to draw attention to it'

'She can sneak into Decepticon bases and elude Soundwave?' Arcee asked impressed by the feline femme. Not at all sure how though, given that she had a certain agile flair but lacked real combat prowess...

-on nemesis-

'So...' Lord Megatron mused, watching the recording of a young catlike con (he had never seen) as she yet again entered the Nemesis to steal a single cube '... She's new.' he added with eyes ablaze in contempt of the robbery but his crafty mind ticked with the ideas of her usefulness.

.-.-.

-Authors note-
Nothing exciting yet, sorry. Also not much descriptive prose. I tend to be a dialogue writer then add description. Aristar is pronounced Are-Rist-Are Guard and Voltaegis pronounced Volt-Ee-Gis though :D