Disclaimer: I only own my OCs.

Pandimala: *looks around* Has anybot seen my swords?

Balm: *shakes helm* No. I was giving Alpha Trion a check-up when that happened.

Pandimala: ...Where are Zarron, Vox, and Remcy?

Tana: *growls* I don't know but they better not be getting into any trouble with them!

Ch. 7: Information is Strength

Nightingale's 1st P.O.V.

A smirk played on my lips as I studied my previous pupil from afar. Zarron had indeed grown into a fine mech who would be able to become a great scout. That, I had no problem seeing happen. However, the trick was to convince the ASA, or the Autobot Scouting Association, to allow Zarron to take the entrance exam to get into the scouting academy. It wasn't as easy as, let's say, getting into the CIA entrance exam. True, while only five bots passed from the CIA exam, no matter your score, and as many bots who got over a certain score got into scouting academy, the trick was getting into the exam in the first place. With the CIA, anybot could enter into the exam, as long as the bot wanting to take the exam allowed the CIA access to their entire files.

However, with the ASA, things worked a little differently. A committee put together by the ASA would select individuals from their Academy records who showed high promise in doing well on the exam. Then, the committee would contact a trainer from the Academy to set up a training exercise for the next group that the target was a part of to be specifically geared to test for scouting qualities. Then, if the target performed well enough, then they would receive an invitation to come to take the exam at Metroplex. After that they just had to score above a certain number before they were allowed in.

Of course, there were other ways to get into the scouting academy but, knowing Zarron, this would be the way that he would want to get in. True, I could get one of my contacts to study Zarron and look for the qualities right away. If Zarron got a recommendation from a board member of the ASA, then he could skip everything and go straight into the academy.

But, again, that wasn't Zarron. He didn't want to get in just because he knew somebot who knew somebot. Instead, he was the kind of mech who liked to work his way into what he wanted. I remember one time, during training, I was teaching him a way to move your pedes silently and, at first, he just couldn't get it. So, I had offered to get him an upgrade to his pedes that would give him that sort of stealth. But, Zarron had completely refused my offer and said that, if he couldn't be the best scout out there with what Primus created him with, then he would just be the best that he could.

Now, however, I was watching as he maneuvered through a new course that the Academy set up. Thankfully, Pandimala was not here or I would be worried about Zarron's safety during this. That poor femme…even though she had some issues when she was younger, mainly her weapons and not being able to control them, it was a miracle that she survived after her first solar at boot camp. Even I heard of her nickname, War Trap, and it was unfortunately justly earned.

But, back to Zarron, he was moving across this practice field like a professional. He always had a natural talent for being a scout, as surprising as it was given his frame type, and I could see the fluidity of that natural talent as he seemed to almost glide around triggers that would give away positions. From what I could tell of this, the objective of the training exercise was to take down a target that was behind heavily fortified lines and from the lack of 'blaster' fire from the other cadets, then this was probably a no-blaster combat zone.

"As diligent as always Nightingale."

I smirked as I heard the familiar mech voice behind me. That mech had showed up behind me a few clicks ago and thought he was being sneaky. But, I knew that he had been there. Marsh and I went through boot camp together and I had to say that, if I didn't know him, then he would get me every time he tried this scrap. It would be funny if he didn't do it every time he came up to me.

So, I sighed at his greeting before saying, "Hello Marsh. What brings you here?"

He let out a laugh before sitting next to me, the cheeky mech, and motioning out to the practice field. "So, I thought you would have seen enough of this place to steer clear of here for the rest of your existence if you could help it. You tell me what brings you here and I'll let you know what brings me here."

Raising an optic ridge at that, I motioned to the practice field where Zarron was working before deciding to answer him vaguely. "I'm keeping track of an investment I made a while back."

"Well," Marsh started with a laugh. "I'm actually here on business." Business? What sort of business did he have here? "The ASA asked me to assess a bot that they have had their optics on for some time. But, we haven't been able to get near him because one of our operatives has been getting in the way. Finally, however, we were able to talk to the instructors and set up this field. I've been watching the bot for the entire time this solar and, by the looks of it, I'm going to be able to give a good assessment to the committee."

Wait…I've been watching the bots here all solar and the only bot that was any sort of scout material… "The committee is looking at Zarron?" I asked him excitedly.

Marsh, in return, let out a laugh. "Took you long enough 'Gale. The committee has been looking at him for a while now but you have always been around to interfere with our investigation plus they didn't want you to tip off Zarron that we were considering him. So, we had to keep our distance for a bit." Marsh then paused and looked out onto the practice field as Zarron moved from location to location. It was almost impossible to see him as he moved across the field. "You did good 'Gale. You did fragging good training that mech."

Honestly, while I loved the praise coming from Marsh, Zarron had earned the right for me to correct him. "Honestly Marsh, I didn't do much. Besides a few special techniques, Zarron fought for this all his own. Those friends of his really supported him and helped him train for this. Honestly, they seem closer than Blockade's team had been, and you even heard about how close they were."

He nodded at that before sitting down. "Yeah. Rumor was that Team Galaxy worked so well together that some thought that they could read each other's processors. If those friends are even closer, I bet that they will make a kick-aft team when they are skilled enough to create their own."

The exercise then ended with Zarron and another bot cutting into the two target bots that were their objective. Immediately, the system shut down and I heard a ding come from Marsh. I looked and saw that he had a data pad in his servos and was looking it over. Since I knew I shouldn't get involved in this, I stood and started to walk away while saying, "Well, I'll leave you to it Marsh. Meet me at Radar's tonight at eight to let me know." I then transformed and sped off without giving him a chance to refuse.

As I moved through the back streets of Iacon, though, I found my processor wandering toward that group of bots. Originally, when I was training with Zarron, they were just four. Pandimala, the triple changer with the dream of being a leader and strength for her friends, Vox, and his want to know information to keep his friends safe, Tana, the strong warrior who would fight to her last intake to keep her friends away from harm, and Zarron, the mech who would move silently through whatever dangers he had to make sure that he could keep one step ahead of the enemy.

Now, from what I had observed, there were to more added to this budding team. Remcy, the hacker who would stand for what was right, and not what would help him move forward in existence, and finally Balm, the apprentice medic who cared for her friends and would work hard to make sure that they were healthy and well taken care of.

Individually, they were strange bots. I would say that without hesitation. However, together…well, I had a feeling that they were going to change Cybertron into something that hadn't been hoped for in stellars. I wasn't sure how it had happened, but something had been sparked in each of those six bots to introduce change to Cybertron…and at a time that it needed changed most.

Cybertron, since the Autobots had forced the Decepticons off-world, had become a political scrapyard. Bot's would move ahead due to who they knew and what position they held. While I wasn't online before the War broke out, I did talk to many bots who were and, from what they spoke of, we had been heading toward the corrupt society that had sparked this War in the first place.

Yes, while the fighting on Cybertron was done with and the Decepticons themselves had grown so quiet, I knew that the War was still going on. It would surprise me, at times, to hear bots talking about the problems in the outer reaches like they were just squabbles. From the talk I would hear at times, you would think that the War was over.

But, I knew that wasn't the case. While I had never seen the Decepticon leader, I had heard enough to know that he was not the kind to back down. I had a feeling that, wherever the Decepticon command was, they were making plans to strike back at us. We had to be ready for whatever dangers and fights that would come ahead.

Zarron's 1st P.O.V.

"If you move again, I swear that you will regret it."

I gulped at the voice coming from behind me. That tone told me that if I dared even think of moving, then I would be done for. This was a very serious situation and I wanted to take the most caution in dealing with it. One wrong move from me, and I would find myself losing a limb or two for a couple of cycles. This wasn't your run of the mill situation that I was dealing with. No, this was a delicate situation that had top priority in my processor.

So, I slowly answered the bot. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

THWACK!

A yelp escaped me as I rubbed my helm. That might not have been the smartest thing to say in this situation but I couldn't help it. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up and I knew that another opportunity wouldn't come for a while.

"Zarron I swear that I'll rearrange your limbs if you don't keep still. And I'm serious." Balm said as she came around the med berth from behind me to face me. I was in for my ninety-solars check-up and she was to the point in her training where she could give check-ups on her own. "Now, from the looks of my report here, you're fit as can be Zar. So, if you want, you can rinse off in the washracks down the hall there while I clean up. Then, I'll give you this report to give to your instructors so they know that they can keep training you." She then shooed me away.

Taking the offer for the rinse, I walked down the hall before finding myself in the washracks. It wasn't long before I had the warm water on and I felt my chassis relax. Lately, I found that the team exercises that I had been doing with the Academy were becoming more scout oriented 'missions'. That meant that more of the work was being placed on me and I had to use more of the training that I had learned from Nightingale to get the 'missions' done. That meant a lot of stress on my systems and a lot of curiosity going through my helm.

That curiosity was peeked the previous solar during practice. I had noticed a bot studying me in the distance but I didn't recognize him. I knew it was a mech from what I could briefly observe during orientation for the mission and during the mission itself. Of course, Nightingale was there like she was every other solar. I had learned how to see her without her seeing me a long time ago. I wondered if she still thought that I didn't know she was there.

What was strange was that the strange mech had eventually made his way over to Nightingale and, from what I had observed, they seemed to know each other. I sent Vox a picture of the mech early this solar in hopes that he could get me some information on the mech so, if I saw him again, I would know who he was and maybe figure out why he was studying me. Vox got back to me a few clicks ago, during my check-up, and said that he would get the information to me as soon as possible.

A message from Vox suddenly popped up in my processor and so I opened it. "Here's his designation for now. It'll take me another cycle to get the rest of the information on him. Figured you would like his designation at least though. It's Marsh." Marsh. Alright, that was a step in the right direction. I remembered Nightingale once telling me that she had gone through boot camp and was friends with a mech called Marsh. But, he had been watching me before he went over to Nightingale, and before she had even showed up. What had he been doing watching me? So, I sent Vox a thank you over the message system before continuing with my rinse.

After a few more clicks, I turned off the water and thoroughly dried off before making my way back to the med bay. I had to get my check-up report from Balm and give it to my instructors. All cadets in the Academy, who had not been outsourced, were required to have a medical check-up every ninety solars and this solar happened to be mine. If a bot had not had their check-up, then they were not allowed to be in any sort of training exercises until they were. The Autobots wanted to make sure that each bot was in fit enough condition to attack the trials that would be placed before them.

"Hello, c…can I help you?" I heard Balm's voice echo down the hall.

Since she stuttered slightly, I realized that whoever Balm was talking to was a bot that she had not met before. Whoever this was must also be an unexpected visitor since, from what Balm had told us one solar when all six of us were able to take a break and meet at Slapjack's, that Ratchet would normally tell her if he was expecting somebot that she didn't know and would give a description of them.

Balm had come a long way since boot camp and her nervousness was almost non-existent now-a-solar. But, when it came to bots she didn't know, Balm was still slightly nervous around them. It would probably be best for me to remain in the shadows and observe this new bot and make sure that everything was alright.

So, as I stayed to the shadows, I heard a mech voice answer her. "Yes, I believe you can. But first, I believe that we must introduce ourselves. I am called Marsh." Marsh! That was the name of the mech that had been watching me the other solar. This couldn't be a coincidence at all. So, staying hidden and moving carefully, I entered the med bay and saw that it was the same bot from the other solar. He was a powdered blue in color with maroon and steel gray markings. His dark blue optics were scanning the room and I knew that I had to be careful with this Marsh mech. From what I could see, he had some professional training in observing his surroundings so I had to be extra careful. Thankfully, I learned a trick from Nightingale during our training that would be perfect for this situation.

"And m…my designation is Balm. Ratchet…he isn't here right now so I'm not sure what I can help you with?" Balm answered Marsh hesitantly.

Marsh let out what sounded like a comforting laugh before he said, "Don't worry Balm. I was actually here hoping you could help me with something." I could see Balm looking nervous as Marsh brought out a holodisk and soon, like I suspected, a hologram of myself came up. "I was wondering if you know where he went. My sources say that he had a check-up here this solar around this time but I'm afraid that I'm later than I wish. Could you possibly tell me where he went?"

I could tell that Balm was nervous about what to do and I didn't want her to have to lie when I knew I could take care of this part by myself. So, since I had made my way behind the mech, I took a silent step into the light before speaking. "It depends on what you want from me." He jumped and turned around to face me with surprise in his optics. "Marsh…that's your name I believe. I am Zarron and I must say that, next time you want to ask me something, just ask me straight out. I'm a talkative bot and I'll strike up a conversation if you want." I held out my servo for him to shake in greeting.

Thankfully, he did and, after a few nanos, he pulled it back. "I guess you're even better at moving without being heard than I thought. It's good to meet you Zarron. I must say, I've seen a lot of bots over my time but you're by far one of the best. Nightingale did good training you."

Balm seemed to have relaxed, from what I could see from the corner of my optic, and so I decided to test this bot in front of me. I had a feeling as to what he was doing here, and I hoped to Primus that I was right. "Yeah, Nightingale did a slagging amazing job training me. Guess you and she were good friends back in the solars. At least that what it looked like the other solar when you two were watching me train."

His jaw plate fell so fast that I thought that it was going to hit the floor. Marsh stared at me for a nano, his digit pointing at me, before he continued. "You knew that Nightingale was watching you?" Sneaky mech. He was seeing if I had only seen him due to him going to sit with Nightingale.

Well, might as well continue to shock the mech. "Oh, I knew that you were watching me since I left housing the other morning. You did pretty good at trying to stay hidden for the most part. Of course, running into Scorpi while you were following me was a bad mistake." I had known that the bot was following me, though not exactly where he was, when he had bumped into Scorpi and decided to try and get more information on me by asking her. According to Remcy, the bot was trying to get information about me from her but didn't realize that she was connected to me.

"Scorpi? How was talking to her a bad idea?" Marsh asked me in confusion. "She and you don't have a connection and she was able to tell me where you went to get your ninety-solar checkups."

I let out a laugh before saying, "Well, there were plenty of other bots who could have given you that information. All you had to do was check with the CBI if you have contacts there and they could have gotten you a file on me which would have included my registered medical center. Also, unfortunately for you, Scorpi and I do have a connection…though not as direct as one I have with others." I then paused for a nano. Since he already knew that we were connected, I guess I would let him know how we were connected. "While I have yet to me Scorpi in the bot yet, she is a co-worker and friend of my friend Remcy. They both work at the CIA together and Remcy has at least mentioned me to her, good friend he is, and so she told him about you asking questions about me immediately and he told me during that training that you watched."

Marsh faceplate palmed himself before he let out a laugh. "By Primus mech you are better than I thought by far. Of course, I bet that you don't know what I,"

"You're here to tell me that the ASA selection committee has been having you following me to keep track on what I am capable of so they could decide if they want me to take the entrance exam to the scouting academy. This solar, you tracked me down to tell me that they have decided to ask me if I want to take the exam. Well, I accept. When do I take the test?" I interrupted him with a smile. Hey, if I was already discovered I might as well show off what Nightingale taught me.

"You sure you don't already know that too?" Marsh grumbled. I smirked at that and he looked worried for a nano. "You don't do you?" Laughing, at that, I could simply shake my helm negatively in response to that. Of course I didn't. That went directly from the committee to him and the bots on the committee were changed for each both that had to be picked for this test. "That's good." He continued. "Luckily for you, your test will actually be in thirty clicks at Metroplex. If you would like, I can escort you there now?"

I smiled at that and went to nod when I remembered where I was and why I was here. "Sure, if you can wait a click. I still need my medical results from Balm here." I then turned to Balm. "So, Balm, am I healthy enough to be excused from your med bay?"

She let out a laugh at that and handed me a data pad before saying, "Yeah your as fit as ever Zar. I'll tell the others that you're going in for your test so you can focus. You can count on drinks at Slap's tonight if you can. Call 'Mala and let her know after you're done with your test if you can." I gave Balm a quick salute at that. She laughed and took out her wrench before tapping it in her other servo experimentally.

Marsh must have experience with wrench-wielding medics because both of us turned faster than a drill sergeant giving orders and bolted. Once we were outside, the two of us slowed to a walk before we started to make our way toward Metroplex. "She…she's a strange one, isn't she?"

I knew he had to be talking about Balm so I nodded. "She used to be a lot worse than that. Used to be a time, back during boot camp, when she stuttered almost every single time she talked, whether you knew her or not. She's shy for the most part. Now she usually only stutters when she first meets a bot or if it is a bot she doesn't like…and don't worry about that last part. I've only heard of two bots that she doesn't like and you aren't one of them. Once she's comfortable around you, though, she'll take out the wrench to get you moving."

He nodded at that. "I'll take that under advice. Thank you." We then walked a for a few more clicks in comfortable silence…though Pandimala insists that such a thing doesn't exist, before he continued. "Speaking of Balm, though, she mentioned a bot by the name of ''Mala'…would that happen to be Pandimala? The triple changer who has some of the worst luck that the Academy has ever seen?"

My servo met my faceplate at that. Pandimala had a reputation that everybot seemed to know of. Fortunately for him, I could answer that positively. "Yes, it was that Pandimala. She does seem to have some bad luck that's followed her ever since that first solar of boot camp. But, she wasn't always so unlucky. When we were growing up together, she was our good luck charm when we were trying to execute pranks. Got Ultra Magnus almost every single time she set one up." A small chuckle escaped me before I continued. "'Mala's a good bot with big goals. When she becomes a Prime, she wants to make a team out of Remcy, Balm, Zarron, Vox, and myself. We'll be one Pit of a team when we all come together…that I know."

To my surprise, he didn't say another word for our entire trip to Metroplex and, after he showed me to the testing room and wished me luck, I walked inside to see fifteen other bots sitting and waiting to take the exam. Hopefully I could do well enough to pass. Taking my seat by a red hauling femme, I waited for the proctor to come in and give us our tests to begin.

Marsh's 1st P.O.V.

"No! I absolutely disagree!"

I flinched when Bakel Major yelled that from his seat in front of me. He was not exactly the happiest mech at the click and I knew I wanted to stay as far away as possible. After the tests had been given, the committee had selected me to deliver the finished exams to them for grading overseeing. Out of the fifteen bots that had taken the test, only three of them failed…and it hadn't been by much. Maybe after another stellar of training they would be able to pass the exam.

They weren't what Bakel Major was yelling about. He was yelling about a bot on the exact opposite end of the spectrum. The highest score on the test, not to my surprise, had been from Zarron. What had surprised me…which was something else that I was finding Zarron was good at, was that he had aced the exam. Completely. He didn't miss a single question and even got the two bonus questions correct. The committee had to take the test after it was made to see how difficult it would be to the examinees and not even they did as well as Zarron did.

And yet that wasn't even what had Bakel's gears in a bind. No, what had his gears in a bind was what Trailport Major had suggested after they had finished grading the tests. No bot got even close to Zarron's score and so, combining that fact with the fact that even the committee didn't do that well on the test, Trailport had suggested that Zarron even be given a pass from the Academy and be given a teaching license immediately.

As could be heard, Bakel didn't like that idea in the slightest.

"I must say I agree with Bakel." That was Hypertrove Minor. She motioned to Trailport before continuing. "While I agree that this Zarron has surpassed all that we expected of him, the Academy pushes bots to their limits so we can know how they react in real situations against their target."

The only other femme on the committee, however, shook her helm at that. "While that is true of most bots that would normally come through, we can see from the report that Marsh here gave about when he was evaluating Zarron on whether he would be a good candidate to take this exam that Zarron is different." Terazda Major then brought up my report onto her data pad before continuing. "According to Marsh's report, Zarron knew that he was being followed by him and it didn't take him long to connect Marsh to the ASA." She then closed out of my report before continuing. "Also, Sturis and Alpha Trion are both friends of mine and, through their own connections, informed me that two of Zarron's close friends called Remcy and Vox, who work for the CIA and the CBI respectfully, both accessed file information on Marsh here and, while Remcy did not send his copy on to Zarron, Vox did. I believe that Zarron received that package about…two clicks ago."

Wait…Zarron had a friend in the CBI as well? Frag I was getting rusty and this mech was getting me at every single one of my flaws. Guess the mech wanted to have even more information on me than I gave him. When Trailport first proposed this suggestion, I was leaning more in favor with Bakel. But, now that Terazda came out with that piece of information, I was leaning more towards Trailport. Zarron was a clever mech. I was still waiting on my contacts to get me access to Zarron's file. They said something about extra firewalls and protections around it that would take them a while to get passed.

And now that I thought about it that could very well be because of his friends Remcy and Vox. Who knew what they were capable of if Zarron was anything to go on. I sent a quick note to my contacts to get me whatever they could on the rest of Zarron's boot camp. I knew that the Council and Ultra Magnus kept Pandimala's record pretty much Classified except for the basics to keep her a secret from the Decepticons until they were ready to use her in battle, but the others should be fair game.

Unfortunately, there were only four bots on the committee…to keep the chance of information leaking out as small as possible, and so that created a problem. The committee, as far as I knew, had never been so divided on an issue so they took the risk of having an even number of bots. Four had been settled on due to it being enough bots to give a variety of views but not too many to delay the processes of testing the bots. Now, however, they were split down the middle as to what to do with Zarron. I knew that Zarron was too good to start out as a first-stellar scouting academy student but obviously him jumping straight to instructor was out of the question.

Then, an idea came to my helm and I smiled. It should make both sides of this debate happy and it would show that Zarron could teach bots with the skill level he was at. Trailport seemed to notice my change in demeanor. "Marsh, from the look on your faceplate, I have a feeling that you have discovered a way to break this impasse?"

Nodding, I walked to the center of the room. "Yes, if the committee would allow it, I would like to propose a sort of middle ground that would make both sides of this disagreement satisfied." All four of them nodded and so I continued. "I propose that we enter Zarron into the academy as a fourth-stellar student. Also, bunk him with students Mirage and Hound. As you all know, this is the last stellar that they will be able to try to pass the graduation exam. As a good scout, Zarron would soon recognize the dilemma both would be facing and, given my assessment of his personality as well as the personalities of Mirage and Hound, then he will most likely start to train with them and teach them what he knows. Allow Zarron to take the end of the stellar exam with them. If he passes, as well as them, then we will give all three their teaching licenses and that would prevent us from wasting a potential teacher's time in going through classes that he doesn't need. If they fail, then Hound and Mirage will be kicked out of the academy and Zarron will have three more stellars to complete his training at the academy like he had started as a first-stellar."

I could see looks of agreement on all the faceplates surrounding me and, soon, Trailport stood up. "All in favor of the motion presented by Marsh raise their right servo." As one, the committee rose their right servos before Trailport continued. "The vote is unanimous. Bakel, if you could please inform the ASA of our decision." He nodded and started to call as Trailport turned to Terazda. "Terazda, please call the academy so they can prepare Zarron's schedule accordingly." He then turned to Hypertrove and I before smiling. "Hypertrove and Marsh, would you both accompany me as we inform the examinees as to how they fared on this test?"

I nodded, as did Hypertrove, and so the three of us made our way to the reception area where fifteen young bots were waiting to hear if they had gotten in to the academy. Alright Zarron, I had done my part. Now, you had one stellar cycle to prove to Cybertron that you were exceptional unlike any bot that we had ever seen on Cybertron. Nightingale gave you the training, and the committee and I were giving you the chance, so you had to pull your weight and show Cybertron what you could accomplish.

When the three of us walked into the reception room, I saw the confident look on Zarron's faceplate and knew that it was only a matter of time before Cybertron saw how amazing of a scout he was.

Zarron: *glances around* You don't think she saw us did you?

Remcy: *shakes helm* No. I made sure that she was distracted. Vox helped me with that bit. He distracted her while I got the swords.

Zarron: How did you get them Vox?

Vox: *smirks* *holds up laser pointer* Pandimala loves chasing this thing around. It's kinda pathetic really. But, she's our friend and distracting friends for friends is what friends do.

Remcy: *nods* Definitely. Now, let's get to work.

*three work on project*

Authoress: *eating cheese puffs* This is getting too good for me to interfere. *continues to watch them*

AN: And here is the second part of the double update! This was a lot of fun and we got to meet some more new OCs. Since Pandimala has been a fore-runner in the other two stories, I felt like it was time to give Balm some fun in the sun. Next chapter is going to be one of the femmes, and it might be pretty easy to guess who it's going to be. But, if you don't know, you will find out next chapter. XD I'm getting excited because we are getting closer to the spiral of events that will really get the main part of this story! I'm hoping to get the last two stand alone chapters done soon so I can.

Well, that's all for now. Please leave a review, even if it is to say hi. Until next time though, TTYL!