Hello everyone. I would like to quickly thank you for your support/favs/follows/reviews. You're the best!

I do not own transformers, it wish I did, but I don't.

Chapter 5

Sunstreaker sat on his berth, clean after a long time in the washracks. He was applying wax to his yellow finish. The feeling always calmed him down. He was not a fan of this planet or its inhabitance, but at least they made good cleaning products. This particular brand of wax was his favorite; he had read about it in one of his automotive magazines and ordered a few boxes of it. Both he and Sideswipe had their own reading choices loaded onto personal data pads. Sideswipe tended to look at ridiculous comics. He even had a small collection of print comics he had somehow obtained, not that they were easy to read. Sunstreaker kept his focus on more beautiful things such as magazines about high end vehicles and art. He particularly liked the ones about acrylic and oil painting.

He knew that this calmness would not last long. Even he admitted he had some… mild temperament issues. Especially when his fragging brother pushed his buttons! Sunstreaker let out a sigh as he thought about their last argument. Not that he cared too much, but he never meant to involve the squishy. He was lucky Prowl didn't come after him. She must not have said anything, even after he accidentally hit her. At least she was well enough to run away once she got the chance. At least she seemed to have survival instincts. While it was an accident, had the human gone off and reported them, they would have spent joors in the brig for harming a squishy.

After their fight, Sunstreaker had stalked off to fix his newly earned scratches. Sides did not return until after he had fallen into recharge and he left quickly the next morning to get to a training session. Sunstreaker, however, had the day off. Usually, he and Sides did everything together, but he only rarely worked with the squishies. Apparently, they did not fully trust him around them. Good. He hated the whole fraggin' species!

Sunstreaker finished his waxing and sat idly on his berth. He still had not spoken with Sides yet. Should he apologize? Would Sideswipe? Sunstreaker hardly ever admitted fault, and when he did it was brief. Sideswipe always knew not to push the subject after that. He would just smile and say everything's good. Lost in thought he almost did not notice his twin coming into their berth room. Almost, being the key word. He burst in and Sunstreaker felt him throw a flurry of emotions through the bond, mainly excitement and confusion.

"Sunny, you'll never guess what happened!" he shouted as he wheeled up to Sunstreaker.

"Ratchet finally fixed whatever was wrong with your processor?" he shot back. "And don't call me that!"

"Very funny, aft-head. That femme from last night, remember her?"

That squishy again! Sunstreaker growled a warning at his brother who pointedly ignored it.

"She totally kicked my aft today! Well, I could have beaten her, if I was able to use my real weapons or full force, but she set up this whole rope thing and I didn't even see her coming!" he was excited and when Sides got like this he was nearly impossible to understand.

"Slow down, what are you talking about?" Sunstreaker raised his hands in a 'calm down' gesture.

Sides quickly sent him a data pack with the day's events. Sunstreaker could not help but feel mildly impressed by the squishy's performance. Sides, of course, felt this over their twin bond and his grin grew.

"I like this femme, Sunny. I think she could be a lot of fun."

"Don't call me th- wait, what!" the yellow frontliner could not believe his audio-receptors. "What are you talking about?"

"I mean, she's gonna qualify for Team Prime no problem, why don't we work with her?"

How could he even be thinking this? "And why would I want to work with some squishy femme?" At this point Sunstreaker was fuming.

"Well," Sides raised his fingers with each point he made, "Prime says we gotta start working better with the humans, she's got skill so she won't get in our way, and Prowl might brig us less if we're actually on Team Prime." He smiled as if he had just created a fool proof plan.

"You want me to work with a squishy just so you can get away with more pranks?" he stared incredulously at his brother, not sure how to feel. Eventually he settled on rage as it began to boil up until Sides sent calming feelings over the bond. He growled, "I want nothing to do with the squishy, understand?"

"But-"

"End of discussion!"

Sides stared at his brother for a few clicks before he dramatically sighed, "Alright, if you want nothing to do with her, then I won't push it onto you." With that said, Sides laid down in his berth and pulled out a data pad.

"Really?"

"Really."

"That's it?"

"Yup." Sides added an obnoxious 'pop' with the 'p'.

Sunstreaker tried to root through what his brother was thinking, but his side of the bond was closed. Sides gave him a knowing grin as Sunstreaker quickly pulled away. The yellow mech knew something was off. Sides never gave up so easily, especially when he had the opportunity to annoy Sunstreaker. He kept a weary gaze on his brother as he continued his waxing.

-Scene Change-

After the initial shock of her defeating Sideswipe, the rest of the day seemed to go by normally for Erin. As normally as it can get when learning to fight giant alien robots. At first, she and the other recruits were tested on their athletic abilities. This included running, pushups, pull ups, crunches, and obstacle course speed. Erin once again defied expectations when she could match or beat the best scores in her group. At this point it was no secret that she was both fit and skilled. For this reason, Ironhide decided that, during combat training, she would participate in the demonstrations.

For that day, they mostly went over weak spots on a cybertronian and how to attack them. Erin was surprised that the autobots would share such sensitive secrets, even if it was with allies. This information could easily be turned against them. Of course, they probably only shared what an organic would be capable of figuring out after a while and kept the best secrets to remain among their own kind. They may be allies, but they are also too different to fully trust one another. Nevertheless, the soldier absorbed all the information Ironhide provided.

Erin admitted that she noticed how Ironhide favored one of his hips over the other and that was how she got past him. He praised her for her observation skills and challenged her to identify more weak points, ones that would work for most cybertronians. The optics were her first choice, and an obvious answer after her match with Sideswipe. She also noted how the bots seemed to be top-heavy so catching them off balance would give a human the advantage. With this she said that there seems to be less armor covering the bot's legs and arms. Also, since the armor is likely designed with a similar sized opponent in mind, attacking from directly above or below the bots would likely yield the best results. She stated that this thinking was the reason why she shoved the barrel of her rifle up the underside of Sideswipe's chassis, instead of directly through one of the crevasses near his spark.

Ironhide commended Erin's quick thinking and ingenuity. It was beginning to be apparent that he favored her other the other humans among her. Either that, or he knew yelling at her would not have much of an effect so he didn't bother and saved the verbal abuses for the others. A stern look or shake of the head had an equal affect to being called a 'strutless meat sack' or 'cannon-snack'. Erin even managed to keep calm whenever the large mech aimed a glowing cannon at her. She would do what he wanted, obey his orders, but would not yield to her fear of him.

After a long day of training, the men all but collapsed after Ironhide declared the session over. Erin began to walk away when he stepped up to her. Dust spread slightly as his pedes hit the earth.

"Is there something you need, sir?" she craned her neck to give him a questioning look.

He knelt to save her from the uncomfortable position, which Erin was grateful for. "Your skills are quite impressive for a youngling." His optics seemed to spin for a second before they narrowed, "However your service record is vague, there are no details of your previous training, only that you enlisted four earth years ago. N.E.S.T does extensive research on all the recruits, yet your records are blocked."

Erin understood the question in his statement. She had to tread carefully. "My service record is blocked because of the classified materials it holds. I received specialized experimental training. If you checked my records, then you must have seen the recommendation by Colonel Bishop."

"Yes, as I understand it he is a highly respected officer who does not offer praise often."

"His recommendation allowed any gaps in my history to be… overlooked."

"If you were special ops, why come to N.E.S.T? We have not recruited anyone like you before." He seemed frustrated in not knowing.

"I am here at the personal request of Colonel Bishop; I was not privy to his reasoning."

Ironhide stood up to his full height, effectively shading Erin from the sun. "Walk with me, will you?" his demeanor had changed so drastically from earlier. His voice was smoother, barely, but Erin could notice it. She felt obliged to accept his request.

Ironhide walked slowly to match Erin's pace, he stood close enough to keep their conversation somewhat private, but far enough so she would not have to strain her neck to see him. At first, they walked in silence, he seemed to be slowly leading her towards the main hanger. It was a peaceful silence. Ironhide's footsteps boomed over her own, but the rhythm was anything but bothersome. She felt calm, even in the giant's presence.

Eventually Ironhide broke Erin from her thoughts, "You've seen combat, haven't you?" The question was not sympathetic; it was for mere confirmation.

"Yes." Erin decided to keep her answer vague. It was true, she had seen combat. Not nearly as much as a centuries old autobot fighting in a centuries old war, but she had still seen what happens in a real fight.

"Are you fearful?" again his voice was even.

"Yes." She responded with an equally calm tone.

A sudden shout of laughter erupted from the autobot. "Ha! Good femme, very good." He sobered a bit before continuing, "Fear keeps you alive. Fear for your own life encourages self-preservation and fear for those you love fuels your desire to fight. Some mechs think that being fearless makes you stronger, I used to think along the same lines. But not feeling anything makes you no more than a drone and in a war like this, we need soldiers."

Erin tried to wrap her head around what he said. Ironhide did not seem like an overly emotional bot. She still had trouble with the concept that these robots could even feel emotions. They were after all, machines. She had learned that cutting all emotion was the key to strength, and it had served her well so far. Her survival was a testament to that. Just then Erin heard a small squeal, "I-won-hide!" She turned to see a small girl, around four or five years old run to Ironhide. He immediately scooped her into his massive hand and held her closer to his face. She could not help but marvel at the spectacle before her.

His optics automatically lit up at the sight of the small girl giggling in his hand. They looked softer and gentle, if that was possible. He spoke softly to her, "Hello, Annabelle. I did not realize you were coming to the base today." With a glance, around, looking for something, he added, "I would have preferred knowing about your arrival, so I can make sure those troublesome twins are locked up in the brig." He finished with a growl.

Annabelle giggled again, "Sunstreaker is grumpy."

His optics returned to the small form in his hand. "Yes, he's grumpy and dangerous. Stay away from him."

The little girl nodded, "Stay away from Sunny, Sides, and red eyes."

Erin was caught off guard at first by the statement. Did Ironhide have it out for the twins? Then again, she remembered her own encounter with the pair. She was not sure what to think of Sideswipe, but she was undoubtedly scared of Sunstreaker. He was powerful and dismissive of her, a dangerous combination in a 'comrade'. Thinking of Sideswipe, Erin knew she felt guarded around him, something seemed off. She did not think it was just because he was a giant alien robot, because she did not feel the same wariness around Ironhide. Not that she wasn't cautious around that mech either. He was still an alien robot, after all. This girl on the other hand, Annabelle, did not even blink when Ironhide picked her up.

The mech nodded and knelt to let the girl jump off his hand. When she did, a woman ran up to the three.

"Annabelle, don't run off!" she berated the child before addressing Ironhide, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you we were coming. I was just dropping off a package for Will. She wasn't even supposed to leave the car." The woman finished the sentence with a quick glare at who Erin assumed to be her daughter.

Ironhide chuckled, "And why would you think Annabelle would sit idly by rather than visit her favorite mech?"

The woman shook her head at the bot before noticing Erin standing awkwardly to the side. Ironhide followed her gaze and seemed to remember the mysterious recruit.

"Ms. Brook, this is Sarah and Annabelle Lennox, Will's wife and daughter. They are both my charges." He explained proudly. Turning back to Sarah he said, "This is Private Erin Brook, I believe she is a promising candidate for Team Prime."

This caught Erin's attention. That must have been why he wanted to speak with her.

"It's very nice to meet you Ms. Brook, please call me Sarah." The woman kindly extended a hand which Erin took.

Not knowing what else to do, she nodded and returned the greeting.

"Can I pway with Iwonhide?" Annabelle pulled on her mother's pant leg with anticipation.

"Ironhide is busy, hon-"

"I always have time for Annabelle." The weapons specialist grunted. Erin could not believe her eyes. He was putty for the three-and-a-half-foot girl. She couldn't help but smile when the little girl squealed, excited at the prospect of playing with the autobot. "I can watch her and return her in the evening."

Sarah gave a grateful sigh, "You sure it's not a problem." She questioned.

"How many times have I watched over Annabelle now?" he scoffed.

"How many times have you kept her out past her bed time?" the small woman placed her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow. The behemoth seemed to shy away a little under her gaze. Erin struggled not to laugh. Sarah must be the reason why Ironhide thought women were tough. She was the boss. He could have easily ignored her or even pushed the tiny woman to the side, instead he nodded respectfully. This was a truly odd sight.

"I will return her before eight o'clock, fed and ready for recharge." He promised.

Erin began to shy away from the three others, she felt rather out of place. The little girl caught her movement and skipped over to her.

"Hi, I'm Annabelle! You a soldier? You work with daddy? Oh! You work with Iwonhide? Do you want to pway with me and Iwonhide?" she excitedly jumped up and down as she drilled out the questions.

"Uh…" Erin looked to Sarah for help but the woman was already leaving. She then glanced to Ironhide, her last saving grace. He nearly fell over with laughter at the face Erin was making. She had no idea how to respond to the child. What does she say? She knows children tend to be less logical, especially those who grow up with 'creative freedom'. The girl was weak so she must be limited in the games she could participate in… Why was she even considering playing with the child? Perhaps it was the pleading look in her eyes.

"None of the boys want to pway with me." The girl seemed to see Erin's apprehension. The admission made her feel a twinge of guilt.

"Well…"

"Annabelle, please let the poor girl go. Yes, she is a soldier, and as such she has many responsibilities that she must attend to." Ironhide shot a quick wink to Erin, he had her back. The girl finally released Erin's arm, which she was holding like it was her favorite thing in the world. "We will continue our conversation at a later time Ms. Brook."

Erin nodded in response and shot a quick salute to which Ironhide nodded. She left, grateful to have gotten away from the unstable ball of energy and while Ironhide did not seem too bad, she was still apprehensive about spending time around the giant. Her relief doubled as she heard the girl beg Ironhide to play hide-and-go-seek to which the mech whole-heartedly agreed.

That was one disaster adverted.

-Scene Change-

Erin felt sweat dripping off her face at an even rate. It was the perfect opportunity to clear her head. Was she doing everything right? She sure was getting a lot of attention. At first, she wanted to make a strong impression, but she was having second thoughts. After all, she was only twenty two, how could she be too sure of her decisions? It felt good, working her stresses away. Kicking Sideswipe's ass, or aft, also felt pretty good. She felt strong again. Erin knew she was far from perfect, her combat ability was superb, but her personality was somewhat, underdeveloped. Was she really right for the job?

At present, Erin was balanced on two fingers, keeping her legs straight in the air. Her free arm was bend behind her back with a balled fist, helping her to keep balance. The aching pain in her fingers and arm were forgotten as blood rushed to her head. She kept her eyes closed, counting the seconds and minutes. The cooling breeze was a welcome relief over her sweating form.

Just as Erin's thoughts began to melt away into serene calmness, a loud and dramatic sigh sounded from a few feet away. She nearly lost her balance due to the shock. Someone had snuck up on her, someone who should be too big and loud to do so. Remaining upside down, Erin glanced out of one eye to see the notorious prankster sitting Indian-style with his head resting on a hand.

"You've been doing this forever. Aren't you tired, or bored?" he let out another overly dramatic sigh.

Still disconcerted by his sneaking up on her, Erin tried to play it cool. "Why are you here?" she closed her eyes again, trying to center herself.

"Can't I just want a little chat?" he asked, playfully sounding hurt.

"And what would you possibly want to chat about?" Erin huffed back. Her arm was beginning to bow slightly under her weight. She had been balancing like that for at least ten minutes.

"You."

Erin's arm gave out, she tried to make it look purposeful, smoothly landing on her feet and standing tall. Sideswipe did not seem to see through her little ruse. "And what is so interesting about me?" she inquired with a quirked eyebrow.

"Well it's not every day that I get my aft handed to me. Besides," he added with a sly grin, "It's not every day I'm topped by a femme, that's usually my role."

Erin did her best to keep a straight face. She'd been flirted with many times before, but never by a giant robotic alien with a goofy lopsided grin. "Had it been a real battle, you would've won. You were limited in the weapons you could use. In a combat situation, you would have just blasted wherever you thought I was."

He shook his head. "I could have won, but there would be no guarantee. I think you have more tricks up your sleeve, as you humans say. You did a pretty fair job at tricking me, even when you were in an unfamiliar location and had little time to analyze the situation or your surroundings. Plus, you did it entirely alone. Even I don't go into combat without Sunny, unless the situation truly calls for it."

Erin considered his statement. "Well, what about it? So I can fight, what's so interesting about that?"

"Where did you get your training?" He leaned forward. Even while he was sitting, the bot still loomed far over her.

She willed herself not to lean back in his presence. "That's classified. It was experimental military training and I can say nothing more about it." She stated firmly.

The grin on his faceplates faded a bit. "You, my little femme, need to loosen up a bit." He added in a raised pitch, "I can help you with that."

Erin only stared at him, waiting for him to explain.

"What if we teamed up in a combat unit and work for Team Prime?" he asked excitedly, bouncing his knees.

In all honesty, Erin wanted to be on Team Prime. She had no intention of fading into the background with other soldiers. Rising in the ranks would be how she could get stuff done. Sideswipe could be her in. "I'd be interested. What would this unit consist of?"

"You, me, and my twin."

"Sunstreaker?"

Sideswipe's confidence seemed to deflate a little. "Yes, him."

"From what I heard, he doesn't exactly like humans."

"Nobody's perfect."

"Last time I saw him he nearly crushed me without a single care." She crossed her arms and gave him a pointed glare.

"I am sorry about that; it was my fault. I provoked him."

Even if he was provoked, the event still proved the yellow mech was a loose cannon. Was this opportunity worth it to her? "I'll think about it. Are you even sure that a newbie like me can get on Team Prime that easily?" she chose not to mention Ironhide's earlier comments.

He attempted a soothing tone, "Let me take care of everything. Just, think about it, okay? Maybe I could arrange a test run." He quickly stood to his full height and gave Erin a nod which she returned. Sideswipe then transformed into his corvette form and shot off, increasing to incredible speeds as he turned a corner far in the distance.

Erin watched him go. Was it really worth it?

-Scene Change-

Ironhide watched Annabelle with tender optics while she sat with her hands feeling through the sand. He knew that she loved its welcoming warmth. That was why he had brought her to the beach. After she played in the water, under his supervision of course, and he helped her build a sandcastle- which was seven feet tall- young Annabelle was tired and happily amusing herself with small fistfuls of sand.

Seeing her slouch, Ironhide thought it must be time to take her home. First though… from a small compartment in his wrist- all of his real subspaces where full of weapons- he pulled a small tin. He always kept snacks for when he would watch Annabelle. He had promised Sarah Lennox that he would return Annabelle fully fed, and fed she would be.

Wordlessly, he offered her the container which she happily took while squeaking a little 'thank you'. The sparkling mulled over her options before munching on a carrot with some crackers in her other hand. Although Ironhide would not judge the humans for their natural diets, he could never will himself to carry animal products of any kind with him. It was just a bit too disturbing.

They settled back into a peaceful silence. While Annabelle was known for her energy, it was, in fact, not boundless. Ironhide was often amused by how quickly she could drop after talking and running a mile a minute as the humans would say.

In his careful watching of Annabelle, Ironhide's sensors failed to pick up a certain silver mech skating up.

"Hey'a 'Hide, Anna." An annoyingly cheerful voice spoke up behind the pair. Ironhide wasn't even willing to suppress his upset sigh.

"Hi Sides!" Annabelle replies, still munching on her snack.

Ironhide let out a low, warning grunt to the other mech before sending a soft glare to Annabelle. She knew to avoid Sideswipe. It wasn't that Ironhide hated the fragger, it's just that he would never trust him with the safety of someone so fragile. Aside from that, he was a negative influence on her.

The sparkling just gave him an innocent smile.

"What do you want?" Ironhide questioned, voice riddled with protective aggression.

The young front liner put his hands up defensively. "I just want to talk. I'm sure you're just as interested as I am in that new human femme."

"Whatever you're planning, leave the youngling alone." Ironhide turned back to his charge, intent on ending the conversation there.

"I'm not planning anything! I just appreciate her talents."

A wide-eyed Annabelle spoke up, "Are you talking about Erwin?"

"It's Erin, Annabelle." Ironhide corrected.

"The sparkling's intuitive." Sideswipe commented with a dumb smile. He knelt to gently brush some hair away from her face.

Ironhide did not stop him, for fear of hurting Annabelle. All of the autobots liked Annabelle. Even Sunstreaker admitted that she was 'acceptable', although she was not allowed to actually touch him. Bumblebee was the youngest known cybertronian that was still alive and he was already in his final frame, although he only got it a few years prior to his arrival on Earth. Sparklings were like a miracle to the 'bots, even if they were human. To watch one develop was precious to them. Their care for Annabelle was only amplified by their respect for her creators. While humans were considered young by cybertronian standards, Sarah Lennox was akin to a femme creator to most of them. She was naturally caring an eagerly educated the 'bots on how to better interact with humans. They were always welcome to visit her home on the base. William Lennox was the human they respected the most, though. The drive with which he fought for, and alongside, the 'bots helped quell some of the doubts they had about the species. On top of that, both the Lennox's had welcomed Ironhide into their lives.

Even though all the 'bots loved the tiny human sparkling, Ironhide was incredibly protective over her, it was only natural as her guardian.

"Just what do you want with the femme?" Ironhide ground out, wanting Sideswipe to leave.

Said mech gave him an eager smile. "I think she should team up with Sunny and I."

"No fragging way."

Annabelle piped in, "What does fra-"

"It's a bad word, don't repeat it… Especially in front of your carrier." Ironhide quickly explained.

She blinked up at him. "Oh. Ok, so it's like sla-"

"Annabelle."

Sideswipe seemed a little taken aback by Ironhide's downright refusal. "Just like that? You won't even consider it?"

"No." Ironhide gently picked up Annabelle. "Come, sparkling, it's time for me to return you to your creators."

Sideswipe skated in the black mech's path, although the sand slowed him. "Just hear me out, ok? This is not part of some maniacal plan!"

Annabelle spoke up, "What's minical?"

"Maniacal." Ironhide corrected again. "It means to exhibit extremely wild behavior."

The silver mech sighed. "Look 'Hide, Prime's always on Sunny and my aft about not dealin' with the fleshies. Well, here's a human I think we can get along with." He added with a smirk, "And she may even be tough enough to handle Sunshine's mood swings."

"That's exactly what I don't want to put to the test. The femme would be crazy to team up with you two." He shook his helm. "Let me guess, you haven't even spoken with her yet?"

"Actually… I did. She said she's think about it." he rubbed the back of his neck in a very human gesture.

"She said no, didn't she?"

"Not exactly…"

"Look youngling, to be honest, I wanted to recommend her for Team Prime. However, it is still too early. Give it a couple of orns, try not to terrify the femme, and I'll consider it."

Sideswipe flashed a smile before giving a lazy salute to both Ironhide and Annabelle. "Sure thing 'Hide!" He then skated off, flinging sand in the air as he went.

"I'm gonna regret this." Ironhide mumbled to himself.

"Probably." Annabelle smartly added.

He gave her a knowing grin before walking away from the ocean and towards the road. "Now young one," he began, "it was 'avoid Sunny, whom, and red eyes'?"

-Scene Change-

Optimus sat in his office, grateful for a few moments of quiet. He had been in meetings all day, just as he was practically every day. The sheer amount of red tape and paper work required for the littlest of things was astounding. Although, what he considers little might be different from a human's perspective.

Of course, when Ironhide proposes complicated and expensive set ups for training, there is little issue with budgeting and construction. However, when Ratchet requests certain medical materials or Prowl attempts to order supplies for new berthing, it takes an entire committee hours to decide whether the request should even be approved. This does not include budget negotiations, deciding where the materials would come from, and getting an exorbitant number of permits. Optimus thought he might go mad when he was trying to get the autobot wash racks approved.

Nevertheless, he did his job diligently, walking the boundary between advocate for his species and warrior on the battlefield. He did, however, enjoy a mental rest from time to time. If only a certain Second in Command could sense his need for said rest.

Optimus heard two sharp knocks on his door. "Come in, Prowl." The autobot leader made sure he had regained his composure before his SIC entered.

"Prime, I have come to provide a security report." The Praxian stated, door wings held high.

Optimus nodded for him to continue. Prowl stepped fully into the mech-sized office and closed the door behind him.

"Things seem to be mostly quiet on the decepticon front, but not so quiet that I would feel alarmed. We have spotted some activity near Alsace, France. Captain Lennox is currently seeking approval to send a human team to start an initial investigation into the reports two days from now. We both feel that it would be wise, however, to send one mech with them. I recommend Arcee for the task."

Optimus nodded, "A wise choice, I will declare my approval to Captain Lennox. Please, continue."

Prowl's door wings dropped ever so slightly as well as his faceplates. "Sideswipe seems to be at it again. Have you seen the fliers he displayed throughout the base?"

Optimus fought to hold back an appreciative grin. "Yes, Captain Lennox showed one to me. While I do worry that his schemes may negatively affect our relationship with the humans, we are at least lucky that his latest victim is rather understanding. I assume you have decided on a punishment for him?"

"Yes, he and Sunstreaker have been given opposite schedules. Perhaps some time without the other might motivate them to behave this time." He stated, not fully believing himself.

Optimus understood Prowl's frustration. The twins were a constant obstacle for the autobot leadership. While the two mechs were formidable on the battle field, so much so that even Prime doubted he could take on them both, they were also a constant source of strife on the base. Sunstreaker was a loose cannon, especially when it came to the humans. Sideswipe's pranks ran from childish to downright dangerous. Making a peaceful alliance with the humans was difficult enough without them. And is seemed that no punishment, that would not remove them from duty, was severe enough to stay their behavior.

"I did discover an anomaly in one of the communication rooms." Prowl stated, pulling Optimus out of his wayward thoughts. "One of the computers was activated last night. A line of code and dialogue was exchanged, however I have been unable to decipher either."

"Do you think this may be a decepticon hack?"

"It was done directly, not remotely. The decepticon would have had to be in the room. I suspect it was done by a human. I have already begun a review on all the newest recruits with this in mind."

"And yet your decipher codes have found nothing?" Both bots knew what was implied, while the humans were the most intelligent, fully organic species cybertronians had ever discovered, it would take time and manpower to create ciphers a cybertronian could not break.

"I am afraid so."

Optimus stayed silent for a moment, considering his options. "I would like Sideswipe to try, he is an expert at coding. Do you know how much data was sent or from where?"

"All the data transferred came from the terminal on base, I know that it was seventeen kilobytes but have no knowledge as to what the information pertained to. The dialogue was recorded by the internal server although a program from an external server scrambled the origin signal. I cannot match the coding to any military language I have data on, it is either very advanced or too tricky for me to decipher. Perhaps Sideswipe could use some of his trademark creativity to come up with his own solution."

"I hope that is the case. Is Captain Lennox aware of the situation?"

"I thought it would be best for you to inform him." Prowl stated.

Optimus sighed. "Very well. I will discuss the matter with him immediately."

Without anything left to be said, Prowl quietly dismissed himself. Optimus watched the door close quietly behind him. He leaned back slightly in his rigid chair, deep in thought. "Is there a spy among us?".