A/N: Ninth chapter, yes! If you like the story, please review! Critique is appreciated! Enjoy!

The Seekers arrived at the base, panting and laughing about their recent failed mission. They all transformed from their alt modes except Starscream

"Screamer, what's the matter?" Thundercracker asked, and Starscream huffed through his engines.

"I took the sparkling." Starscream said, and all of the Seekers backed away, staring at Starscream with amazement written all over their faceplates.

"Did you glitch, Screamer? Taking that sparkling just doomed us all! You heard that Autobot, she's really important to them!" Skywarp said, and they all peered through Starscream's canopy glass at her. She was deep in recharge.

"We gotta get rid of her." Skywarp said, and at that point, Soundwave came out of the shadows.

"Human girl can be used for Autobot downfall. Give her to me." Soundwave said in his monotone voice, and he raised a hand. Starscream opened his canopy glass, muttering Cybertronian curses under his vocalizer. Skywarp carefully lifted the girl out, trying not to wake her. She continued to sleep peacefully.

"You will be briefed on who will take care of her." Soundwave said, and with that he turned around and walked away. Starscream transformed, still grumbling something about who unfair Megatron was being. The other Seekers patted his back, rolling their optics. They went to the rec room, talking and laughing about the mission. No one noticed how quiet Starscream was.

~In the Autobot Base~

"Skyfire, calm down!" Prowl said, and everyone in the meeting turned to the shuttle. He was pacing, his optics flickering back and forth between different welding points in the floor. He hadn't stopped moving since he alerted the Autobots to their loss. Their only loss.

"We need to do something, Prowl! Who knows what they are going to do with Skylar! And it was Starscream who took her!" Skyfire said, and someone cleared their vocalizer, getting the attention of every 'Bot in the room. Optimus Prime was standing at the head of the table, and he was looking around the room at the gathered 'Bots.

"Skyfire is right. We need to find Skylar. But we don't even know why they took her." Optimus said, and the gathered 'Bots all vocalized their agreement. Skyfire watched Optimus, quiet. Prowl stood besides Jazz, taking comfort from him. He didn't know what Skyfire felt, and he hoped that he never would.

" She is one of our greatest scientists, Optimus. What do you think that the Decepticons could do with that knowledge?" someone asked, and Optimus looked down at the table. He had forgotten about that.

"They would be able to destroy us." Jazz said, and he moved forward, looking around the table.

"We need to get her back. Not just because of her knowledge." Prowl said, and he stood beside Jazz again, letting his door wing tap him gently. He had the attention of everyone in the room, including Prime.

"But because she is our friend." HE said, and the Autobots cheered, waiting for the plans to come to action.

~In the Decepticons Base~

"Decepticons, it has come to my attention that we have a human girl, taken from the Autobots base. This meeting is about the captor who will take care of that girl." Megatron, the mighty leader of the Decepticons said. The gathered 'Cons looked at one another, giving Megatron a questioning glance. Megatron swept his red optics around the gathering, narrowing at his second in command. Starscream was looking around the room, seemingly bored.

"The girl is here, Megatron." Sound wave said, and he opened his hand, showing the now awake girl. She was holding onto one of his fingers with a very tight grip, her eyes fixed on the floor.

"Girl, look at me." Megatron said, and she flipped her head towards the sound of his voice. Her eyes were now fixed on his shoulder.

"Girl, look at me!" Megatron said, and Starscream walked forward, his optics on his leader.

"Perhaps if our mighty leader would scan the girl first, he would understand that her optics do not function?" Starscream said sweetly, but his voice was lost on his leader. Megatron was scanning the girl, and his optics narrowed as he looked at Starscream again.

"I think that you know more about this girl that I originally thought, Starscream. Would you like the tell us about her in more detail?" Megatron said, and the gathered 'Cons turned to look at Starscream. Starscream backed away, looking to the other Seekers for support. They only shook their heads at him.

"My leader, I told you what I know already! I swear, that's all!" Starscream said. Some one muttered' Suck up' to someone else, and Starscream turned, looking for the traitor.

"Who said that?" HE screeched, and there was some snickering around the group. Megatron sighed, rubbing a hand over his optics.

"Starscream. You are the captor of the girl." Megatron said, and Skylar looked towards the seeker, her sightless eyes locking onto his optics. Starscream was quiet, subdued s he walked forward to collect his charge.

"Don't hurt her, Starscream. WE need her alive for the Autobots. " Megatron said, and Starscream grabbed the girl, looking around the room at the other 'Cons. Everyone was silent.

" Meeting dismissed. Another debriefing in 2 cycles." Megatron said, and with that, everyone left, scattering through the base to their own areas.

~At the Autobot Base~

"Hey, Skyfire, wait up!" said Bumblebee, and the taller mech paused, waiting for the yellow Volkswagen. Bumblebee caught up, and they were both off, towards the lab. It was still under construction, but Skyfire had an attachment to it. He missed Skylar terribly. And he wanted her back.

"I know that you want Skylar, Skyfire, but you need to wait. Those Decepiticreeps wont know what hit them." Bumblebee said, and Skyfire quirked an optic ridge at the younger' Bot. He wasn't sure how, but Skylar had become fast friends with almost everyone on the base. And she was very close to Prowl, Jazz and himself. After all, she was the one who got the other two together, and Prowl found her.

"We are leaving in two cycles. I wish that we could leave now. And if they have hurt her…" Skyfire paused, offlining his optics. Bumblebee watched as the taller 'Bot bristled, and his optics came online with a flash of red. They changed slowly back to red, and Bumblebee shivered. He didn't want to get on his bad side, and he almost pitied anyone who gets in his way.