Ch. 65

8 Hours Earlier~

Starscream flew atop the Autobot base and transformed gracefully, landing loudly to alert those below to his reentry. The seeker fluttered his wings and let the lift take him down, smirking when he saw Arcee waiting for him at the bottom with her arms crossed.

"Miss me?" he teased, walking pass to pick up a cube of energon he had left for himself on Ratchet's work station.

The femme smirked back, "No. I'm just glad to see your spinal struts have miraculously healed after 'rupturing'."

Starscream pouted, then purred, "Oh, had I any other option? She was going to get her fingers into crevices I've kept clean and pristine for eons. I don't think it's fair to allow her to damage them, do you?"

"I don't think it's fair that my audials are still recovering from the scream you emitted for effect," Arcee frowned, "If I didn't know any better, you could have gone into acting."

The seeker shook his helm, taking a sip from his cube, "Never, those kinds of bots are far too vain. And don't think Knockout could achieve a task like that either, he's overly vain."

Ratchet huffed as he carried a large crate of scraps and metals into his work area, setting the box on his desk, "Well, if you're going to fool Miko into thinking you're damaged, perhaps screaming an actual and legitimate medical problem would be best."

Starscream scoffed, "She doesn't know the difference!" he took another sip, "Besides, I think yelling 'I've blown a gasket' wouldn't give the right effect."

The medic frowned, "It would in your case..."

The seeker's wings twitched and he grumbled, swirling his cube for a larger gulp, "So, do we have an agenda for the day?"

Arcee nodded, "Yes, actually. Optimus is taking Breakdown and Bumblebee out for a quick drive. He wants to see Breakdown's driving style."

Starscream nodded and waved for her to continue.

"Ratchet is going to be monitoring the base. You and I are going out on an energon search. Bulkhead is currently scouting-"

The seeker coughed and choked loudly, dropping his cube and grasping at his neck. Arcee blinked and Ratchet immediately went to Starscream's side to check him over, the silver mech wheezing loudly to get his words out.

"H-he left?!"

The femme frowned, "Who? Bulkhead? Of course he did, almost half an hour ago. He left shortly after you went out for your flight."

Starscream scowled and wiped energon from his mouth with the back of his servo, "That idiot! I told him, I swear to Primus, I told him-" he stopped to snarl and gently shoo Ratchet away from his chassis, pulling out his ground bridge remote from under his thigh plating.

The medic stared, "What is THAT?"

"We'll play show-and-tell later," the seeker snarled, activating the remote, "I have to go!"

A ground bridge portal opened in the middle of the room and Arcee and Ratchet jumped back, watching Starscream dive in as the bridge closed.

They stared for a moment before the medic sighed and walked slowly to the communications terminal, "I'll COMM Optimus..."

Starscream rushed into the Harbinger's laboratory and quickly activated the computer console, grabbing an energon syringe. As the cloning program lit up, he siphoned a reserve of the fuel from his arm and hastily began to fill the synthesizing terminal. Six cylinders it took last time. He was thankful he had refueled before he had been given the taxing news. Why couldn't that green lug just listen?

"It was a simple request," the seeker hissed, siphoning another cylinder of energon, "DON'T go on patrol. DON'T investigate any rogue signal of energon if you have to go on patrol. Was I speaking to a door?!" he set the cylinder into the terminal, reaching for another; he paused, "No... no... doors at least open when you command it..."

He scowled and continued to fill the cylinders. When they were full, he himself feeling a little spent, he set the cloning program to begin and pulled down hard on the power lever to induce the process. A shower of sparks rained down on him and he scuttled back, frowning as the protoforms began to take shape. He counted as each clone fell from their perch gracefully and stood before him, five new Starscream's smiling back.

No time for formalities. And he knew they'd understand.

"Follow!" it was his only command as he rushed from the lab and down the hall to another room.

Five sets of sharp peds trailed after him and Starscream quickly reached into a stash of refined energon, drinking quickly.

One of the clones spoke up, "You're not even sure you have time for this, why waste it?!"

"It is better to be refueled and ready to charge into battle than weakened to such a state," another growled.

"Quiet, no bickering, it's the last thing we need right now," a third huffed, "We need a strategy. A plan!"

"Right! And where do we even begin to start?" the fourth hummed.

The fifth clacked his claws together, "We know where the Nemesis is currently located, twice over! But our inability to connect with the clones from that distance from before gave us no information on where anyone was at the time."

"Silence," Starscream finally panted, "All of you!" he set his empty cube down, handing out cubes to the rest, "We'll make due with what we know. Refuel; that I insist upon. We'll make our way into the Nemesis then separate from there. I'm not sure how much each of you have gathered from me."

"You mean 'hiccup-teleportation-and-saving-my-life' wise?" the first frowned, sipping his cube.

Starscream growled, "Yes. That. But our memories are the same. We need that. It means our drive has altered little."

"If memory does serve," the fourth thought, "Soundwave reported that Bulkhead had been wandering on the lowest level of the ship."

"True," the fifth murmured, "So we won't have to look too hard to find him."

The third growled, "Wrong! Things have changed somewhat. He could be anywhere on that blasted ship!"

Starscream scowled, "Finish refueling! Regardless, starting at the bottom and working our way up may be our best option."

"Wait!" the first gasped, "We may have an extra opportunity!"

"... To do... what?" the second blinked.

The first hummed, "Getting Knockout and Soundwave out! All six of us, running around the ship? It will cause mayhem! There's no way they can stop us all!"

Starscream sneered, "And we may be able to cause quite a bit of damage as well... Fine. I like it. Then let's put this into place, one of you-"

"Which one?"

The seeker frowned, "It doesn't matter which, so long as one-"

"I volunteer that one," the second glared, pointing at the first.

The first scowled, "We don't even know what the plan is!"

"Stop fighting!" Starscream roared, flexing his claws, "Primus, I can't even control my own insanity! Fine, I'm labeling each of you!" he pointed around at the clones, "You're 'Red', you're 'Yellow', you're 'Blue'-"

"Now wait," Blue frowned, "I don't understand why I have to be 'Blue', when your optics are still blue. You should be 'Blue'."

Starscream's wings flew up, "I'm the ORIGINAL. And just because Ratchet's little joke hasn't been fixed yet means nothing! I am Starscream! Now shut up!" he pointed again, "Now, you're 'Green' and you're 'Orange'."

Orange huffed, "I don't like orange."

Starscream growled, "No one likes orange! What color do you want then?!"

Orange crossed his arms, "Doesn't really matter, does it?"

Starscream stomped a ped, "Then why make a big deal over it?!"

"Because we can!" Yellow smirked; the clones set their finished cubes down, and he pointed out the door, "We're ready. We'll go over the plan on the way there. It's going to take some time."

Starscream took a long intake and nodded, "Fine, then let's move. I want to be within range of the Nemesis in the next few hours..."

The silver mech ran passed his clones, the seekers following, and he transformed as soon as he found his way outside, the five clones following suit after him.