=Chapter 2: Unexpected Allies=
~x~X~x~X~x~
Stiletto soared into the docking bay of the Convoy carefully, hiding within the Camouflage Shield that Macro had deployed and transformed into her motorcycle mode, while opening a com-link channel to her partner, "Starwing jumped the gun again, but I can work this to our advantage as long as he stays in vehicle mode. He buys us time, then we bridge him out with the technology once it's been secured." Macro's indifferent tone replied, "He did it again? Someday, that mech is gonna get himself killed." Stiletto would have nodded were she in robot mode, but went silent as two Arwings flew into the docking bay and landed. The Camouflage Shield should have projected the appearance of an Arwing and she was hopeful that it wouldn't attract attention.
Slippy hopped out of his Arwing and got to work on Miyu's immediately, while Miyu got out of her Arwing to let him do the analysis. She hit the ground, then took note of the black Arwing in the hangar. She turned to Slippy, then back to the Arwing, then dismissed it as some new model. She paused as soon as she thought that, as that was what she thought about the ones outside before they attacked her and her team. She turned back, then drew her blaster, regardless of whether or not she would be able to do damage to it. She looked directly at the Arwing, almost daring it to do something.
Stiletto registered the slight threat posed by the Lylatian's weapon, but recognized it as a provocation. The Lylatian must have suspected her, and was trying to coax her out of her Alt-mode, which she realized meant that the Camouflage Shield must've glitched out. She stayed perfectly still, even going so far as to shut down her com-link to Macro to prevent discovery. Eventually, the Lylatian seemed content that Stiletto was just a normal Arwing and began walking away. Once she was out of range, and Stiletto was certain that her partner wasn't watching, quietly unfolded into Robot mode, slipped out of the Camouflage Shield as it powered down, and observed from behind a large stack of boxes. She glanced behind her as a door opened, a door large enough for her to walk through. Understandably, they were large so they could move Optimus Prime's body through, even on it's side or back, meaning she was small enough to go through. She sneaked through the door and closed it behind her. Stilleto then reopened her channel with Macro, "How's it going?"
"I'd love to tell you that we're done here and we can leave, but there's an issue here." Stiletto's optics widened, "Tell me." She glanced back at the door as Macro replied, "Well, the objective that you sent me to secure? It vanished, poof." Stiletto sighed, "People, especially Cybertronians, don't just vanish, or poof, except for Skywarp and a couple others."
Macro checked around the empty room once again, "Well, you better believe it, because I'm staring at an empty room. There are residual traces of Energon in the area, most likely a Transwarp, like a Ground bridge or Space bridge, but using an alternate technology relying on-" Stiletto interrupted him, "I know, Mr. Exposition, I know. Can you trace it?" Macro shook his head and answered, "I can't trace Transwarp. It... well, you already know why. It could be anywhere in the entire star system and we won't know it." A voice behind him surprised him for a moment, "Well, we'll just need to find out where it is now and if there's more Cybertronian tech." He glanced behind him to see Stiletto walking into the cargo hold. Given Macro's speciality in stealth, it was somewhat out of place for him to be startled.
"Wolf, our target's been lost, Something slipped it out from under our noses." The Seeker's voice echoed into Wolf's cockpit. Wolf growled back, "Then, they had a back-up plan. We will track it down, but first things first, we've got a score to settle." The Seeker retorted immediately, "They are a waste of energy, Wolf O'Donnell, and as the commander of the Seekers, it is my job to determine when to attack and when to retreat." Wolf then attempted to talk the Seeker into his place, "Listen here, bucket o' bolts, I'm the leader of Star Wolf, and while you serve with me, I am your superior! You do not move, you do not breathe, you do not retreat unless I say so." The Seeker he spoke with, one of the alien jets wearing red, white, and blue colors, flew up toward Wolf's Wolven, then shapeshifted into his Robot mode, then tapped the canopy as he spoke, "We are partners in this deal, I have just as much power over you as you over me, meat-bag hairball. I can call off the attack at the drop of an Energon chip and I can start one under the same circumstances. My Seekers are a powerful enough armada that no matter how many bodies you throw at us, you'll run out before you get rid of us. Now call off the assault." Wolf sighed, "Fine." Starscream moved aside while Wolf turned his Wolven around. He muttered over his shoulder, "Asshole," toward the Seeker commander, then called his team and armada off. While he flew off, Starscream muttered back, "Fleshy." He then glanced back as one of the Arwings stopped before him, then shifted to his own Robot mode. Starwing growled and was ready to attack, then froze as Starscream told him, "Put your guns away, Triple Changer, this fight is over."
Starwing grumbled, then shifted back to his Arwing form for what good it would do at this point. He was then contacted by Stiletto, "What the hell was that out there, Rookie? I told you not to engage." Starwing's reply did little to satisfy her, "I was only doing what I thought was a good idea." Stiletto paused for a second, "I specifically said not to engage the enemy, regardless of who's fighting who, because we haven't got an idea of how the natives would react to us, screw-ball!" The insult flew over Starwing's head, "What about the twins? They're natives, they reacted quite well in our presence." Stiletto's exasperated groan preceded her next sentence, "Two members of a species doesn't represent the entire Primus-damn species. They probably have no voice in their society, and they only act like that because of the circumstances that introduced us to them. For all we know, they'll probably gut you when they find out, and your recklessness has guaranteed that they'll find out, or do some other horrible things."
A surprise came to Starwing in the form of a transmission, from a native registered under Fox McCloud, according to the com-link ID, "Hey, whoever you are, thanks for helping us back there. They had us on the ropes and we might have actually lost." Starwing returned the thanks, impersonating a more organic voice as close to legitimate as possible, "No problem, Fox. Maybe we'll see each other again some time." Fox then asked the Triple Changer, "What about a name? Aren't you gonna give us some sort of long-range contact info?"
"Why is that important?"
"You're a good pilot, we could use someone with your determination. Wouldn't it help to have contact information?"
"I'm just a passerby, I saw the commotion and decided to help out. If we cross paths again in similar circumstances, maybe we can talk, but I have somewhere to be right now."
A/N
- I know I said I was trimming down on OCs in the story, and I am keeping with that promise, but it is a bit of a surprise who the twins that Starwing speaks of are.
