Chapter Nine

Slipstream drummed her digits on the armrest on her chair. She was staring into the red optics of her spy on Cybertron through the screen. "What is it?" Slipstream wasn't in the best of moods at the moment.

"Dawn and Acid Storm have been captured by the Autobots."

Slipstream frowned, upset further by the news. This wouldn't do, she needed them out of the Autobot's servos. "What about Sunstorm and Shadow?"

"They escaped from what I can tell. This is bad if Dawn is still carrying."

Slipstream had almost forgotten that factor. "Is she?"

The spy shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe Sunstorm would be a better bot to ask."

Slipstream hissed. "Why didn't you stop them from taking them?" She was glaring at her now.

"I tried my best!" She protested. "There wasn't much I could do without exposing myself to the Autobots! I think what I did was the best I could do. There isn't anything I could have done that would have helped in any way."

The seeker didn't let it pass, but didn't push the subject any further. Slipstream had been told by Thrust that she had an anger problem. Shortly afterwards, Dirge found him with a broken wing. At least the new Seeker clone seemed to have some sort of medical knowledge. How he got that, Slipstream would never be able to figure out.

He still didn't have a name. Slipstream and everyone else just called him That Jet Over There, or Jet for short. Jet was used more frequently. He still complained about not having a proper designation, but unless Dirge thinks of one fast, Jet is going to stick and become his actual name.

"Continue your work. I expect better news next time," Slipstream commanded the spy, letting her disappointment show.

"What shall I do about Dawn and Acid Storm?"

"The same we've done with the twins. Leave them alone unless threatened. I don't believe the Autobots would kill them if they haven't done anything."

"They caught Acid Storm and Dawn with Sunstorm. I don't think they'll release them because they're innocent."

"Yes. Still, be cautious." She ended the transmission without the reply that would have been given.

The situation seemed worse now than it ever was before. Now they had four Seekers in the stockade, two offline, and two hiding on Cybertron. Surely, the Autobots would try and find them. She was still surprised they hadn't done anything about the Seekers at the Nemesis with her. They had been there for stellar cycles, and yet the Autobots had done nothing. Maybe they didn't think of them as a threat. That's a mistake they'll soon regret.

Even so, she had to contact Sunstorm to find out about his condition.

"Why if it isn't my marvellous sister," Sunstorm greeted her, grin and all.

"What is your condition?" Slipstream wasn't in the mood for an order of the Sunstorm special.

"I have Shadow and Downpour with me. We don't have a place to stay right now because the courageous Autobots found us out."

"Downpour?" That could only be one bot.

"Dawn and Acid Storm's adorable sparkling. It's a shame though, because, after putting up a magnificent fight, the two were captured."

So the sparkling wasn't with the Autobots, but it would need a lot of care. There was only one thing left that Slipstream could do. "Stay away from the Autobots for as long as possible. I need you two to take the stolen cargo ship back here, if you still have it. The sparkling will never survive like that. At least here we have energon. Hopefully it'll be enough, though."

He made a slight bow with his helm. "Yes of course, how could I lose it? I would never want to anger you or the others, oh gracious Slipstream."

"Then take it back here as soon as you can. We'll be waiting." It would take some time, but eventually they'd reach their destination.

"Of course, I'll get right on it. And Acid Storm and Dawn?"

"Will stay where they are. If we want the Autobots to become less suspicious of us, then we need to keep quiet." However, she was reluctant to leave the two on Cybertron. The time would come when they would be rescued however, and Downpour could be reunited with his creators.

"A brilliant strategy, if I may."

"Get going. The sooner you arrive, the better. Good-bye, Sunstorm." The picture faded and she stood up. She would have to tell her comrades the news and deal with their reaction. With a sigh, she left the room and went to find the others.

She found them in what had become the equivalent of a rec room. They were all relaxing, not complaining or fighting with one another for once. Slipstream was at least a little bit surprised to see them all getting along. They were also talking about something, and Slipstream was curious to know what it was. She concealed herself outside of the doorway, listening in on their conversation.

"Maybe she's his treacherous side," Skywarp suggested. "He was her leader, and she hated him and left him at the mercy of Megatron along with the others. She never did like Starscream."

So that's what they were talking about. It amused her to listen in on their suggestions. She still had never told them what aspect she represented of Starscream.

"She's Starscream's stupid side," Ramjet voiced his opinion.

"True, she is smart," Thrust agreed.

"What about a critical side," Dirge wondered. "She never seems happy with anything."

"So his happy side?" Ramjet questioned.

"What if she's just a female version of Starscream?" Thrust put out. "Though, I can't really say this if I've never even met Starscream."

"Possible, the way she treated him was similar to Starscream's way of treating Megatron," Thundercracker compared. "Though I understand why anyone would treat such an inferior life form the way they did."

"Are you talking about Megatron or Starscream?" Skywarp asked.

"Both, obviously." Slipstream could almost hear the smirk in his voice.

There was a sound of metal on metal, as if someone had snapped. "I've got it!" Dirge claimed. "I know exactly what side of Starscream she is! It's a word I learned when I was hanging around Earth. She his bitchy side!"

"What does that mean?" Skywarp wondered.

Slipstream sighed, moving to enter the populated room. "Are you bots finished?"

"Almost," Thundercracker replied.

"Well, you are now. I've got important information for all of you." She waited to see if any of them had anything to say.

"Are we going into battle?" Thrust asked. "We're ready to fight and destroy the Autobots! We're better than them."

"Yes, those Autobots are weak and will be easy to beat as long as I'm their enemy," Thundercracker boasted.

"No, we're not fighting," Slipstream corrected them. Thrust looked disappointed, as did some of the others. "I was going to tell you that Sunstorm and the youngling Shadow are coming here to join us. They also have Dawn and Acid Storm's sparkling with them." She knew what question was coming.

"What about Dawn and Acid Storm?" Skywarp worried.

"They've been taken prisoner by the Autobots." The anger that she had known would come had arrived.

"Those pathetic Autobots deserve to be destroyed," Thundercracker decided.

"Why can't Sunstorm rescue them?" Jet asked.

Slipstream explained her reasoning to the newest recruit. She wasn't a big fan of Jet. It hadn't taken her and the others long to realize was his personality was going to be. Jet, unfortunately, was the side of Dirge that was never happy with anything. In other words, he complained. A lot.

"That sucks."

"At least we'll have more company around here," Thrust pointed out.

"Yeah, but we also have to deal with a sparkling," Jet continued. "I don't want to deal with something that can't even fend for itself."

"Yeah, because you'd be very good at fending for yourself if you were alone," Ramjet teased.

"I would. I don't need any one of you."

"Maybe he would. Dirge did," Thrust pointed out. "And maybe Skyliner's still online. You never know."

"Of course he's still online, he is my clone after all," Thundercracker assumed.

"Yes, because you're so grand and powerful," Ramjet said to Thundercracker.

"I am! You worthless clones aren't even half as good as me. I don't understand why Slipstream decided she should be in command when it is obvious that I would make a better leader than her."

"I would follow you," Ramjet promised.

"You'd be a horrible leader, Thundercracker," Dirge countered.

"You're just jealous of my superiority, Dirge." Thundercracker was standing over where Dirge was siting on the floor.

Dirge got to his pedes. "Why would I be jealous of you? There's nothing grand about you."

"Everything about me is better than you. Better than all of you!" Thundercracker threw his servos into the air to prove his point. Well, not literally, because there isn't any air in the first place. The idea and point is still there though.

Slipstream was getting a processor ache. "Alright, knock it off you idiotic Seekers! Just shut up and do something useful."

It was quiet for a moment, than Dirge smirked. "See, I told you she's a bitch."

Slipstream went over and smacked him before giving up and returning to the control room. She knew it would be a while until she could ever move forth with her plan. They couldn't even think about attacking the Autobots if they had a sparkling running around. They would have to wait for him to mature enough. By then, the twins would be full mechs and the youngling would still be just a little younger than the twins.

It would all be worth it in the end, though.


Short chapter is short. Sorry it was so uneventful. Ever since around chapter two I've been wanting to do this chapter. I still want to do other parts, but they'll come later. Random fact for writers: the difference between may and might is that may leans more toward yes and might leans more toward no. The more you know! I have my sources, but I don't think I'm allowed to say it on here. Also, I've noticed people put disclaimers on their stories on here, and so far I've forgotten. Then again, it is a fanfiction website, so obviously I don't own Transformers. I do own my OCs, except the names. Though I don't steal names on purpose, I know for a fact that other people have used some of these names.

Prowls-little-angel: That's just fine, you can PM me anytime. And I would love to help, but sadly I'm only human. *sigh* Maybe I could get Heth to help you, she'd do it.

Thanks for reads and reviews!