A/N: Here's the next chapter! Thanks to angel1897 for the review! Right after I got your review the inspiration for this chapter just kept coming so thanks for sparking something!

Disclaimer: Transformers does not belong to me as much as I want them. I am doing this just for fun and because my crazy mind won't shut up if I don't, there is no profit being made.

Chapter 10

Kat's Plan: Phase One Commence

Optimus was good on his word and all too soon Kat was standing in her loft apartment, with Hot Rod's holo-form by her side. To be honest Kat didn't know what to do at the moment. She knew that she had to unpack, check her messages from the blinking light of her machine, work on what she knew, start setting up to take N.E.S.T. into good hands… the list went on and on and she didn't know where to start. Hot Rod seemed to notice her trouble as he carefully set her bag on the bed, startling her into at least blinking. "What do you want to do?" the Autobot in human form asked, coming back towards the middle of her the room to lean against her couch.

Kat shook her head to knock the heavy thoughts away and took a closer look at her loft with a grimace. It needed to be cleaned badly. "How about you head downstairs and make sure the shop is cleaned up?" she suggested. "I'll start cleaning up here."

Hot Rod nodded and left her to her own devices. After watching his holo-form disappear down stairs Kat sighed and started unpacking and cleaning automatically, letting her mind start working on ideas, plots, and plans. When the silence got to her thinking and cleaning process she scowled and headed to her player. Only when the sound of her cleaning playlist starting ringing through the place was she able to get back to work and hash out ideas.

Many thoughts were tossed around before she actually was able to get something that might work. Once her apartment was clean and her laundry started she pulled out her laptop and plopped on her couch. When Hot Rod walked back in that's how he found her, typing away madly on the machine. He paused to gape at what he found. The open kitchen with its shiny metal appliances, marble countertops and tile floor gleamed, to his left. Walking a little further in he turned to the right to see her bed stripped and the bedding waiting by the wire frame to be washed. Turning back to the left the windows that lead out to her wrap around deck gleamed, streak free and spot less. Her living room was warm, the stereo still playing and displaying an animation on the large TV she had mounted in the far south east corner of the room. Her L-shaped couch showed signs of vacuuming and she has claimed one section for herself, spreading papers, books, and sticky notes around her with her computer on her lap and an iced beverage on the coffee table before her. "Everything is okay downstairs," he informed her looking around once more. Even her lush blue carpet seemed to shine in the state of clean she put her place through.

"That's good," she replied absently. "I've got six engines, several brake jobs, and I was fired from my gig at Ice so I have time for the jobs before I finish with N.E.S.T. I can start phase one the second I get a hold of my brother and I have the plan in such a way I can keep things safe."

Hot Rod's holo-form had its jaw on the floor and he was sure his real body was doing the same. He hadn't been down there more than a half hour and she had done all of this in such a small amount of time? "What?" he finally got out.

Kat looked up at him, long enough to catch his gapping, before she went back to her computer. "Things are about to get busy. That's all you need to really comprehend at the moment. Now, can I have your help running and fixing the cars that come through my shop?" As he was still standing she waved to have him sit down.

"Uh, sure?" Hot Rod stammered sinking onto the open portion of couch that she waved too.

Kat just nodded and continued working. Not stopping her typing she expertly flipped her phone open and dialed a number before putting it on speaker and setting it down to continue her work. "Hello?" Josh's voice came from over the line. "What do you have sis?"

"I'm looking at hiring some new employees and turning my shop into that auto experimental facility you wanted," she informed him finally stopping to read over what she had out. "I need all the profiles of the mechanics you have on the pay role sent to my private line ASAP. Also, we're going to start buying up N.E.S.T. shares through sub corporation, shares, non-profit organizations, I don't care how but get them in our company's name. Also, I'm willing to call in your contract."

Hot Rod settled across from Kat as he heard a hiss over the phone line. This was one of the most interesting conversations he had the pleasure of knowing. "Are you serious?" he demanded. "You want to come into the divisions you started up? Become my VP?"

Kat sighed and leaned back, letting her head thump against the head rest tiredly. "As much as I swore I never would do so… yes. I'm coming in. I want my shop to become my primary hub for the tech center once I get the last jobs done. Also, I want two new people hired and sent right to me."

There was a significant pause as typing came through the phone. Finally Josh piped up, "Okay, what are the names?"

Kat smiled almost wistfully. "Female by the name of Maggie Madsen and a male by the name of Glen Whitmann. I don't care how you get them or what you have to offer them but I want them and I want them at my launch. ETA for launch is in… three weeks. I should have my jobs done then."

Josh swore at that and typed faster. "That's not much time on my end," he informed her. "Madsen and Whitmann are currently under government. It will be hard to get them."

"If you have a problem set up an appointment between them and I," she chuckled. "Or you can just mention they will get to work with the Autobots again."

Josh choked at that but didn't say anything else. Finally he asked, "Anything else?"

Kat picked up her laptop once more and read through things. "I want an eye on Sam and his family, Mikaela and her's, and all of the military family's with N.E.S.T. I want them protected from anything and everything. Set up just in case funds should the soldiers die. I don't want them to have to worry about the safety or the stability of their loved ones."

"That is something I can easily do," Josh replied softly. "I'll get stuff set up and I'll send the files right away."

Kat sighed at that. "Thanks big brother."

Josh gave a soft chuckle at that. "Not a problem little sister. Get to work."

Kat just smiled and ended the call only to stare at the computer screen. "This could actually work," she stated out loud and saved the file she had created. That done she closed her laptop and smiled at the holo-form. "Shall we get started?"

Hot Rod blinked at her stunned. "I'm in for a lot of trouble aren't I?" he asked rhetorically and got a laugh in return. Oh yeah, he was in for it now.

Kat worked diligently to finish up with her clients at her auto shop and apologized over and over again about having to close down. "I'm afraid I've been hired to do more specialized work which means the shop has to get closed down!" she informed anyone who asked. "The guy I hired as a temp is just that, a temp and has another obligation after this. So as much as I want to keep the shop open I can't." Many people were greatly upset but let her go. Only close friends knew that her shop was going to change into a Starlight Inventions hub while the primary hub moved from the Springs to its new location in New York.

And set up was going well. Josh had sent over many personnel files and after careful examination and interviews Kat had a crack team waiting to move in to the newly renovated space. Josh even managed to snag Maggie and Glen, though it had taken Kat meeting with them and proving that she was working with the Autobots (Prowl and Hot Rod had transformed for the two and they were convinced). Hot Rod was vital on keeping up with what the Autobots were doing and keeping track on the Decpticons that were also mobilizing. Kat knew she had some time before the second movie started coming true and wanted to that to her advantage. Josh had quietly began supplying NEST with weapons, armor, vehicles, you name it to get them away from full military control and after some quite negotiations even got the President to sign the division's control over to a "Private Benefactor", though it was still in the name of the United States of America that NEST worked for. General Morshower, the man running NEST from the JCS or Joint Chiefs of Staff, was quickly notified of the new change in command and flown to meet his new boss. That was one conversation Josh left to Kat to handle.

"Hello, Starlight Inventions, I'm Katherine O'Malley V.P." Kat greeted the man with a smile, showing him into her new office. The girl had build on top of her old shop and some of the land nearby that she quickly bought up, turning the once two story car shop into a 14-story lab/office/hub that sat a half a block wide and half a block long.

"Miss O'Malley," Morshower greeted her back as he took of his hat and offered her his hand. Kat took the hand with a firm shake, showing him she wasn't intimidated as he had hopped by coming in uniform. "I am USMC General Glenn Morshower, head of a special division called…"

"NEST," Kat interrupted him gently and showed him to the couch she had for guests making sure he was comfortable. "Yes sir, General Morshower, I'm aware of who you are and who you command."

She seemed to have shocked the man with her comment he fell silent for a moment and made himself comfortable. "Well then Miss O'Malley, I guess you also know why I am here," he finally stated.

Kat smiled slightly at that. "Would you like something to drink? I just made a pot of coffee, just the way my father liked it too."

The General hid his displeasure at not getting right to business and offered her a strained smile. "Black please," he requested. Kat stood, absently smoothing out the wrinkles from her sharp suit to fix them two cups, keeping his black as night and only adding a little creamer to hers.

Once she had the drinks she carefully handed the General his and sat back down. General Morshower choked slightly when he realized he got Marine Black coffee instead of the watered down version he had been expecting. Kat smiled again when she saw that. "My father was military, bouncing around divisions before settling as a USMC EOD expert," she explained and took a deep drag of her coffee. "He loved his coffee this way. However, I'm digressing. You wish to know why all of a sudden you have a new boss that isn't the president or SecDef."

Morshower sat straight at that. "Yes, I would like an explanation to that," he replied setting the coffee down. "I must say I was not expecting Starlight Inventions to be behind all of this."

Kat let a ghost of a smile grace her lips. "That's because Starlight has nothing to do with this," she informed him, getting another startled jump from the man. "My brother and I, after a series of strange and unimportant events ended up at Diego Garcia, Josh to aid with advancements and myself because I had learned of the Autobot's existence through… rather extraordinary means. I'm your supposed security leek however I've signed all the non-disclosure agreements and have the clearance to know of them."

"And just how do you know all about them?" General Morshower demanded.

"That's something I cannot disclose at this time but let me just say it also gave me some insight on what will happen if the Autobots remain under full Military command. Which is why I pulled the strings to offer them global asylum and safety for the Autobots and full pay, compensation, and benefits to the humans who join them and no one has been the wiser and full presidential approval," she replied, a self satisfied smile on her lips.

"How can you give them global asylum?" the General finally asked. "The best we could do is hide them from the world and let other nations join NEST's team."

Kat defiantly appeared to be the cat that ate that blasted canary at that. "Several loopholes that not many people are aware of that involve the sub company agreement I set up with the president," she informed him, pulling up a global map on the television behind her. "As long as they agree to work for me and my family fighting Decpticons we will give them a safe place to live as the desire. Also we were able to get an agreement to have several of the bots work with us as Starlight begins on working on our more… out there inventions. They won't share their tech as they agreed, but it said nothing about us learning from them."

"And you are offering that immunity to the Autobots and NEST team," Morshower summed up, sinking back on the couch.

"Yes," Kat confirmed, letting the information sink in.

General Morshower stared at her in shock for several minutes then slowly shook his head. "And you think that pulling the Autobots away from the military is a good idea?" he asked again.

Kat nodded seriously. "Extremely. Now, I can't tell you all I know, but let's just say that there's a push government dog sniffing around who will do anything to see the Autobots get kicked off this planet. But if they leave? I can guarantee at least 1.5 million people will die. I want to see this dog burry itself with its stupidity, which is why the only ones who know Starlight is pulling the strings now are going to be you, me, and the president."

"You don't want me telling my men?" Morshower asked puzzled.

Kat shook her head slowly. "No, just that there's a new monetary backer who gets a good say on what goes on at NEST," she requested.

Morshower thought if over. He had a very good idea that the 'dog' was the new American National Security Advisor Theodore Galloway who was pushing to get weapons from the Autobots or to get them kicked off the planet. Honestly, the man was annoying everyone at NEST and to seeing him get taken down a notch would be something very satisfying and if this young woman could do it, then he would help her. "Very well Miss O'Malley, you have yourself a deal," the General agreed, standing and offering her his hand. "I will have my aid give your secretary my secure number for whenever you need to contact me."

Kat's smile lit up the room at that. "You won't regret agreeing to this General," she informed him standing and taking his hand in a firm shake. "We'll be sending a new shipment of mini-sabot rounds sometime this week. Expect a shipment of specially treated handguns for the rounds sometime next month. Sadly production of the guns is taking some time, just to make sure that they won't explode on the first shot. I will not comprising our troops with a faulty weapon like some of our competitors."

General Morshower nodded happily and was shown out by Hot Rod's holo-form. Only once he was gone did Kat flop back onto the couch with an explosive breath of relief. She sat there for a good while, not even moving when Hot Rod, or as he was more commonly know currently as Roderick Hotshock, came back in. She did however roll her head to look him over. His red hair had been spiked up tastefully and it complimented the dusting of freckles he had across his nose and cheeks. She had let him keep the lei he had and it complimented the black shirt and pants he had. On one ear he had an ear piece that disguised his ability to call without a phone and in his hand he had reports for her.

"The General tire you out?" he asked with his easy smile.

Kat groaned. "Let's just say I'm happy he agreed so easily," she retorted. "If he hadn't I would have made a very powerfully enemy."

"He's that powerful?" Hot Rod asked sitting next to her and setting the papers onto the table before him. "How does he have so much power?"

"He is the military's go to man for NEST," she informed Hot Rod, staring at the ceiling. "If he says they don't get something, or go somewhere, they don't. If he had said no, I would have to up spur him and I like the guy enough and he's decorated highly enough to make me not to want to do that."

"Impressive," Hot Rod muttered. "Well, let's get working."

Kat smiled and picked up her paperwork. She had a lot of work to do and only a few more months to work with. Starlight Inventions moved quickly and quietly and all too soon Kat was watching college students getting ready to attend their first day of classes. That's when Kat got her first call from Sam. "Miss O'Malley?" the boy asked timidly when she picked up. "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure Sam," Kat assured him closing up her office to dedicate her attention to the teen. "First call me Kat. Second, what's going on?"

"You know I got into college in Washington right?" he asked and Kat hummed her knowledge. "Can you keep an eye on Mikeala? She doesn't want to come with me and I'm worried about her."

Kat smiled at the devotion Sam showed to his girlfriend. "I can do that Sam. I was going to call her in a moment and speak to her anyway. How are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm… okay," he finally replied. "I'm trying to convince Bumblebee to go back to the Autobots so I can live a normal life."

Kat sighed and leaned back in her chair. "Sam, have you stopped to think that maybe you are meant for something more?" she asked him, looking out the window to see the expansive mountain view behind her. "That normality is extremely boring?" Sam stayed silent for a long moment and Kat sighed again. "Just think about it okay?"

"You know, Bumblebee never told me how you knew of them," Sam informed her. "How did you? And how did you change Prowl back from Barricade?"

Kat thought it over and sighed. "Can you keep a secret?" she asked of him. "For at least 2 months?"

"Sure, whatever you want," Sam informed her. "I can keep if form anyone you ask."

Kat sighed and gently scratched the side of her head as she thought over what to say. "Okay, this is how I can best explain it and I ask that you keep it from everyone." She waited for the teen to agree before she continued. "In Ireland, millennia ago, Druids and their ilk were known throughout the reign. One division of Druids decided they wanted to combine the theories of science and magic and created something called "Starlight". They deduced that is was some kind of mix of pure science and pure magic, something never seen before in the world. It however had an unfortunate side affect and bonded, for lack of a better term, with the wife and daughter of the head of the Druidic order. After several years of experimentation, it was discovered that only the women of the Druid's blood line could use this starlight. The blood line was passed through out all of the Druid females until we get to this day and age. Sadly there is only one family line left. My mother was the last of the Druidic blood line and passed the knowledge of her family's history to my brother and I while I got the abilities."

Sam was silent for a long time before informing her, "That's an impressive story. So you used Starlight to turn Barricade into Prowl?"

"Sort of," she laughed. "Prowl was turned into Barricade by a virus that Megatron created. As to how I know about them, don't you remember me telling you I was from an alternate dimension or were you not in the room?"

"I wasn't in the room," he reminded her. "Neither Mikeala or I were."

"Ah," Kat sighed. "That's right. Basically, I am from another dimension and when Ironhide hit me, I was hit by an identical car in my dimension. The end result was my dimension, and this dimension colliding, or at least that's the theory Josh came up with once we found that my stuff came with. If it had been just my soul, none of my things would have come with. In my original dimension the Transformers were a TV and movie series."

"Wow," Sam breathed. "That's cool."

"Are we good?" she asked him.

Sam's laugh assured her. "Oh yeah, Bee helped out a lot with that. We're more than good."

"Good," she sighed happily. "Keep my number close and give me a call if you ever need anything okay?"

"Yeah, I can do that. Thanks… Kat," Sam thanked her and they hung up.

Kat sat there for a few minutes, going over the second hardest conversation she had to have, this one with a boy she knew only from what she had seen in the movies who chose to contact someone he didn't even know for help. And she couldn't do a damn thing about what was going to happen next. "Oh God Sam," she whispered into the empty room. "Forgive me." She knew the next call she got from the boy would not be a happy one. However, she still had work to do and quickly started making sure her contingency plans were in place.

A few days later a secure video conference was asked to display on her computer. The General had created a secure link for her to hear their debriefings and follow NEST along with him, and without the soldiers knowing she was listening in so she could figure out how to handle the media fall out once NEST came to light. Her message box sent whatever she wanted relayed only to the General's specific hand held window that they had supplied him with so that even the men in the room with him wouldn't know. Kat pulled up the window just as they finished connecting to Diego Garcia and also pulled up the file she had been sent on the Op. Seeing that several had died she quickly noted their names and made a note to attend their funerals if she could and give the service packages to their families. "General?" Lennox greeted the man.

"Will, I saw the Shanghai op," Morshower greeted him sadly. "We had a rough day out there."

"Yes, sir," Lennox sighed before getting back into the swing of things. "We have Intel that I believe warrants an immediate debrief. Now with your permission, I can't let you see him, but I would like you to hear from the leader of the Autobots."

"Proceed," Morshower agreed after getting confirmation from Kat.

The two of them waited as techs pointed a special speaker towards the large bot and for him to speak. "General, our alliance has countermanded six Decpeticon incursions this year, each on a different continent," the large bot spoke and Kat felt her heart swell in pride. "They're clearly searching around the world for something. But last night's encounter cam with a warning."

Kat tensed as a recording played and watched the General frown. "'The Fallen'," the General echoed worriedly. "Meaning what?"

"Origin unknown," Optimus sighed. "The only recorded history of our race was contained within the AllSpark and was lost with its destruction."

"Excuse me!" a new voice cut in and Kat let an evil grin cross her face. She couldn't wait to see this man eat dirt. "With this so called AllSpark now destroyed, why hasn't the enemy left the planet like you thought they would?"

"Director Galloway, our National Security Advisor," Major Lennox informed the two dryly as the other man fought his way up to the deck where the conference happened. "The president just appointed him liaison." He mouthed 'oh boy' and rolled his eyes.

"Well I guess I didn't get that memo," Morshower drawled as a message from Kat popped up . I asked for him for now. Woof, woof, it read. Seeing that the General had to quickly hide his sadistic grin. He knew from his interactions with the young woman that she had something evil planned for this man. He just had to wait to see what it was.

"Forgive the interruption, General," Galloway straightened his tie as he came into the camera's focus. "After all the damage in Shanghai, the President is hard-pressed to say the job's getting done. Now, under the classified Alien/Autobot Cooperation Act, you agreed to share your Intel with us, but not your advancements in weaponry."

"We've witnessed your human capacity for war," Optimus informed him and Kat caught sight of him pointing a finger at Galloway. "It would absolutely bring more harm than good."

"But who are you to judge what's best for us?" Galloway countered quickly.

Kat was extremely glad she was recording all of this conversation at that and sent the General a message as Lennox puffed up. "With all due respect we've been fighting side by side in the field for two years!"

Epps's faint voice piped up with "We've shed blood, sweat and precious metal together!"

"Soldier, you're paid to shoot, not talk!" Galloway called down mockingly.

Morshower quickly read the message their benefactor sent and frowned, gracefully ignoring the caught mutterings from Epps of, "Don't tempt me."

"Easy," Optimus chided and let the man walk away to cool off.

Galloway quickly picked up steam once more. "And the newest members of your team. I understand they arrived here after you sent a message into space, an open invitation to come to Earth, vetted by no one at the White House."

"Let me stop you right there Mr. Galloway," Morshower cut in with a glare. "It was vetted right here. And in my experience, the judgment of both Major Lennox and his team has always been above reproach." As much as he wanted to mention their anonymous benefactor he bit back that comment at her request. She would get the perfect revenge on him later she said and he forced himself to trust her on that.

"Well, be that as it may General, it is the position of the President that when our national security is at stake, no one is above reproach," Galloway informed him.

Kat started ignoring him from there out, having remembered the rest of his spiel from the movie and quickly dialed up the General's number. "I was wondering when you were going to call," the man informed her, casting a glance at the camera that broadcasted to her. "Galloway and the other can't hear us. Go ahead."

"Are you're men recording what he's saying?" Kat asked and waited for his nod. "Good. This moron is well, a moron, but I like making him eat his words. If information about the Transformers get's out guess who just their biggest supporter becomes. And I get to rip the rug out from underneath him if he tried to pull command away from you. Aren't you glad you work for me?"

"How?" Morshower demanded, absently noting what the man was saying. He had caught the please note in her voice and mentally sympathized the poor man.

"Editing is a great thing and the President owes my family a few favors. That and I now own NEST," Kat finished and hung up just as Galloway got to the end of his speech.

"So let me ask, if we ultimately conclude that our national security is best served by denying you further asylum on our planet, will you leave peacefully?" he demanded of Optimus.

"Freedom is your right," the big bot replied. "If you make that request, we will honor it. But before your President decides, please ask him this. What if we leave and you're wrong?"

Galloway's sneer was the last image Kat recorded as she cut the feed and smiled. "Hey Roddy!" she called and got Hot Rod to poke his head into her office. "Pack up. We're going to New York."

"Is your plan starting to come into being?" he asked already starting to cancel her appointments and pulling up the 'plan' list she came up with for him.

"Galloway just showed up at NEST," she replied with a smirk. "I have a video file on my computer I want you to use for the promotional ads. Use the audio any way you want. I just want it to be his voice."

"Got it," Hot Rod grinned and starting working on the 'tablet' he was using. "So you just need to grab your bags and the jet will be waiting for us. I can let you handle contacting your brother correct?" he asked looking over his short list.

Kat just showed him her phone and the speed dial just waiting for the send button. Hot Rod quickly left to deal with his end of things and Kat called Josh up. "Hey kitten!" Josh greeted her. "When are you going to visit me here in New York?"

"Tonight," she replied happily. "I'm going to fly in tonight with my secretary and we're going to need a full package. Phase one is done and Phase two is starting."

Josh let out a long low whistle. "That was fast," he informed her. "How long ago did you start Phase one?"

"Six months ago," Kat informed him. "When we got home from our… trip. Anyway, I'm coming to see the new office you've been setting up and we'll get started okay?"

"See you this evening then sis," Josh laughed and they hung up.

Hot Rod finished up about then and came back with a grin. "Ready?" Kat just nodded and headed to the elevator. Using a special key she called the elevator to her and entered, Hot Rod following. Using the key again she gained access to the exclusive and mostly unknown 14th floor. Once the elevator arrived she stepped off opened the only door in the small hallway there. "I still can't believe you created this condo," Hot Rod informed her as they stepped into the spacious apartment. With a large kitchen, amazing living room, open master bedroom, guest room on an upper level, two bathrooms plus a laundry room, and large balcony the condo was open, spacious, and homey. And to save costs she had used all of the material from her old apartment, so there was no color change for her. "Do you have a building degree somewhere in that brain of yours?

"This is actually our mother's design," she informed the 'bot as she grabbed her already packed bag and pulled it out of her closet. She then pulled out her weapon's vest and put it on to load up. "One of them anyway. Her specialties were homes but she also designed apartments and condos on the side." Kat grabbed her .45s and the sabot rounds, checking to see she had full magazines she put the spares in the special pockets she had. She then put her knife in the small of her back and pulled out her katanna and attached it to her side. Having her license to carry concealed weapons easily accessible along with her permits for the sword and the ones that let her carry her weapons on a plane she tossed on her beautiful duster and grabbed her bag. "Let's rock," she informed the waiting Autobot. The two gave each other matching Cheshire grins before they headed out. They had a plane to catch and plans to weave.

A/N: I'M ALIVE! And I can't believe I was able to write this chapter in two days. The words just kept flowing! I hope it lasts for a while longer… Also, I do have an image of Hot Rod's Holo-form and images of the O'Malley's. If you want copies send me a review letting me know and I'll send them over the site e-mail.