As my faithful Pariah readers know, I made the announcement at the start of Chapter 18 that due to my being unable to come up with any further story arcs for the time following the period after Starscream's capture up to the time of the Ark launch, I would attempt to fill in the gaps with sidestories. These stories will give glimpses of what Starscream's life was like during this period as well as fill in some of the information referred to when it comes to the Autobots, and will be predominantly based between 17 & 18.

The only exception will be this chapter, as some readers expressed interest in seeing Starscream tell Mirage the story behind his capture. This takes place just after the close of Chapter 16.

"Hello, Ratchet."

Startled, the Autobot medic looked up from the report he was working on at the sound of the smooth voice, only to frown when he saw nothing in front of him.

He shook his head, muttering for a moment about smart-aft Ops agents, before saying aloud in a slightly annoyed voice, "Hello, Mirage. Would you mind not walking around my Medbay invisible, please? Last thing I need is to have a Spark attack."

Mirage just shook his head, an amused smile on his face. Then he schooled his expression to a more neutral one before dropping the shield. It wouldn't do, after all, to allow Ratchet to see him amused. He might just refuse the request out of irritation.

Not that this would stop Mirage from his mission. When he'd told Jazz about the second-hand request from Starscream that Wheeljack passed along, his commander had been surprised, since he'd known for a fact that Prime was going to be taking the other mech's report personally once Starscream was out of danger, and that he'd asked Jazz to accompany him when he did so. But after thinking about it for a klik (and then discussing it with Prime over comms), they'd decided to accept Starscream's request. Mainly because it was unusual for him to make such a request, as he usually just turned in his reports to Prime personally.

However, it had been deemed best to allow the visit to wait until after the surgery to replace the newly constructed limbs back onto the Seeker, as Ratchet was unlikely to allow anyone to see Starscream officially before this took place.

Mirage now looked at the CMO, who still had the irritated expression on his face. "I apologize for the scare, Ratchet," the spy said seriously. "I did not intend to startle you."

The expression didn't change. "Fine. Apology accepted. What brings you here now, Mirage?" The words were said gruffly.

Mirage ignored the tone. "Just after Starscream woke, he conveyed a wish to Wheeljack that I come down here to talk to him, that it was important. According to Wheeljack, his expression just before he spoke, along with his tone when he asked, seemed to indicate that whatever was bothering him was serious. Knowing that Jazz and Prime were going to be taking his report once you gave the all-clear, I let Jazz know of this request first."

Ratchet frowned, the irritated expression now giving way to a more puzzled look. "Why would Starscream want to give you the report about what happened to him?"

Mirage shook his head. "We don't know. So Jazz and Prime have given me permission to speak to him, to find out just why he wished to hand the report to me personally."

Ratchet's optics dimmed for a moment. Mirage suspected that he was confirming what he'd just been told with someone, though whether it was with Wheeljack or Prime, or perhaps both, the former noble wasn't sure.

After a moment, the medic's optics refocused on the mech in front of him. "Fine, then. He should be awake by now. Just make sure to keep it as short as possible. He needs his rest. If he can get it," the red and white finished with a grim look.

Mirage frowned now. "What do you mean, if I might ask?"

"You've seen torture victims, Mirage. You know what I mean," Ratchet answered, tone matching his expression. "And you saw what Starscream looked like."

Mirage grimaced. Yes, he had. On both counts.

"Understood," he replied. "Thank you, Ratchet."

The medic just nodded and waved him out, going back to his report.

Mirage left the CMO's office without another word and headed for the Critical Care Unit.

Starscream frowned at the schematics he was working on. No, those won't work..., he thought as he looked at the ideas that Wheeljack had come up with for the null-ray. Yes, they would have been acceptable at one time, but now...

Now, they needed to be stronger. Much stronger. Strong enough so that it could be more than a defensive weapon. He wouldn't let them get him again.

Starscream gave a brief, cold smile at the thought.

"Starscream," a calm voice broke into his musings.

Slightly irritated by the interruption, the tri-color looked up, glancing into the direction the voice came from, to see a blue and white mech standing in the doorway.

The irritation faded as he recognized the mech and remembered his request to Wheeljack. "Mirage," he replied, forcing his voice to be as toneless as he could manage.

Mirage stepped completely into the room and closed the door behind him. "Wheeljack told me you wanted to see me about something, though he didn't tell me what," the racer said as he sat down in a chair next to the medberth.

Starscream nodded and set the schematics down on the table next to him. "I did," he confirmed, a grim look appearing in his optics as he turned his gaze towards Mirage.

"May I ask why? Seeing as it isn't common practice for you to be willing to submit a report to an Ops agent. You usually avoid us if at all possible," the blue and white mech said wryly, a slight half-smile appearing on his face.

Starscream gave a small smile, but it didn't reach his optics, which still had that same grim expression. "Normally, that's true," he admitted, the smile fading away as fast as it came. "But this is different."

Something in Starscream's voice caught Mirage's attention and he straightened up in his seat. "How so?"

"This...has to do with my capture." Starscream paused a moment. "First, I have to ask. What did the reports say about what happened, if anything?"

Mirage was starting to get a bad feeling, and wasn't sure why. "The other members of the team said you were last seen fighting other Seekers," he said cautiously, knowing he shouldn't be sharing this information, and yet something was telling him that this was important. "Why?"

Starscream took several deep intakes before replying. "Because they weren't the only ones involved," he replied quietly. "There were others helping them."

That bad feeling became stronger. "Who? What happened?"

Starscream turned to stare at the wall in front of him. "I was fighting the Command Trine, as reported," he answered. "But it didn't take long for me to realize I was outmatched. When I realized this, I attempted to break away, only to be caught in an energy net launched by some mechs on the ground. I didn't realize who they were at first, but later, when I came to in that cell, I went over everything in my head. I ran the images of those mechs through my databanks and came up with a match."

"Starscream, who were they?" Mirage pressed, urgently now.

Starscream turned his head, met Mirage's optics, and spoke two words in reply: "The Constructors."

"That's what he said? You're sure?" Jazz asked, once Mirage had given his report.

Mirage nodded grimly. "Yes," he replied simply.

Jazz was silent for a moment as he leaned back in his seat, pondering what he'd been told. Starscream's story certainly confirmed his earlier suspicions that those sightings of Decepticons around Crystal City had been a trap of some kind, but at the same time, it also hinted that Crystal City was in danger.

If this was true...

He lifted his head up to face his subordinate. "What do ya think a' what he told ya?"

Mirage didn't hesitate. "I believe he's telling the truth, Jazz. The way his voice sounded, the matter of fact way he gave the information, his posture...there were no tells to indicate he was lying."

Jazz nodded slowly. "Fair 'nough." He leaned forward at his desk, steepling his arms and setting his chin on his hands. "But why request ya in particular ta tell the story ta? Why not me or Prime? We'd a' listened ta him."

Mirage was quiet for a moment. He'd wondered that himself, but once he'd thought about it, a very likely answer had struck him. "I suspect it is because he knew I lived in Crystal City, as he did for a time," the spy said finally.

The Ops Commander nodded. Mirage had told him about that meeting with Starscream the following day cycle, when he'd noticed something seemed off about the way the former noble was acting. "Ya believe he thought it was more likely a fellow citizen would believe him first," was all he said in reply.

Mirage nodded once more. "It is likely, Jazz. And to be honest, even if I hadn't been watching his body language as he told me what happened, I would still have believed him."

Jazz frowned. "Why?"

Mirage sighed and finally sat down in the chair in front of Jazz. "It hasn't really been a secret in Crystal City that the Constructors have been given some of the least wanted building assignments for some time since before the war began, not to mention their living quarters were assigned to one of the worst areas of the city. The leaders choose to give more attention to Omega Supreme as the Guardian than they do to those who created it. I have no doubt that it has rankled and that they would have been more than willing to accept any offer Megatron gave them if it meant they could get some kind of payback."

Jazz tapped his fingers together thoughtfully. "We need ta tell Prime," he said after a klik. "Then we need ta look inta Starscream's story. Ah've still got a few contacts left in Crystal City. Ah'll get the word ta them ta see if they can find out what the Constructors have been up ta lately. Or at least find out who they've been meetin' with."

Mirage nodded. "And if they are traitors?"

"Then we deal with them," his commander said flatly. "Ah won't let another Simfur or Altihex happen if Ah can help it."

He stood up from his desk. "Ya go keep an optic on Screams. Ah don't like what ya said about the way he was lookin' at that datapad. Ah'll talk ta Prime."

Mirage nodded once more, rose from his seat, and left the room, the door closing quietly behind him.

As soon as the door shut, Jazz pressed a button on the right side of his desk, and a hidden console appeared.

He activated the link.

"Jazz ta Prime," he stated tersely.

The Autobot leader's face appeared on the console screen.

"Prime here. What do you have for me, Jazz?"

Jazz lowered his face a moment. When he looked up again, his expression was grim.

"Jazz?" Optimus Prime asked in a worried tone as he noted the saboteur's expression.

"Boss 'Bot, we got a problem..."