Kit was awakened to a gentle touch on her shoulder. Looking over she saw Storm Chaser standing there. His face seemed tired but a small smile played on his lips. The girl was still groggy but managed to rise a bit. It took a moment for her eyes to adjust to the dim light of the dresser lamp across the room. Quickly the sleep lingering in her body washed away.

"What is it Storm?" she asked sleepily as she yawned.

"You're biggest partner wants to speak with you."

"He's back?"

Storm Chaser just nodded and left the room wishing her luck. Kit quickly got dressed in her flight suit hoping she could convince the ever stoic Decepticon to go flying with her. She stretched popping the joints in her back and arms. With slow strides she headed out into the night. He was standing there in all his Decepticon glory underneath the pale light of the moon. His shining red eyes seemed dim as if he was sad about something. She was probably going to be the only human that could claim that she could tell what a Decepticon was feeling.

"Is something wrong Starscream?" she asked as she moved to stand before the Decepticon.

"Come fly with me under the stars and moon?"

She smiled warmly to her partner.

"Of course Starscream, lead the way."

He shifted and resumed his F-22 form. She quickly scaled up the ladder until she was sitting comfortably in the cockpit of the plane. Buckling herself up, she gave the go ahead to Starscream. He taxied down the runway and lifted in the air once gaining enough speed, and before to long they were flying through the night sky with only the moon and stars as their company.

"Starscream why did you run before?" she asked softly.

She needed to know because it had hurt her like nothing else. The bot was silent for a long time making her think he wouldn't answer her.

"I am confused," he admitted softly.

"You're confused?"

"I have orders to take you back to Megatron."

The bot grew silent for a moment before speaking again. "I am confused on what to do."

"Starscream if you feel that taking me to Megatron is the right thing to do then so be it. It's not like I can fight you up here."

The bot did a violent barrel roll and dove into a nose dive. Kit only had time to squeak once before he did that. On instinct she grabbed the control and tried to force him out of the dive before something bad happened but she felt him pulling out of it on his own. Once he got back up into the clouds and going in a strait line Kit leaned back trying to get the wave of dizziness to stop.

"I take that as a no."

"Megatron doesn't care for anyone but himself, and you'd only become a possession."

"I figured that out on my own you peacock. To them I'm just a catalyst that can make or break the battle to come."

"This battle will not rest on your shoulders," he stated firmly.

"Then who will bare this battle to the end Starscream?"

Her anger was getting the best of her, and she hadn't wanted to spend their last few days bickering about what was to come. Quiet nights of star gazing while laying completely protected in his grasp was something more to her liking, but here she was bickering with her guardian.

"I will because you chose me to do so," Starscream stated calmly as if he was a sage of all things.

"Starscream I didn't want to come up here to bicker with you. I wanted to enjoy the stars with my partner."

She realized something. They had landed but it wasn't on a base. They landed in a clearing. Around them was a ring of cedar trees. The scent of them surrounded them reminding her of her younger days when hunting was apart of her life. She shook those thoughts away. It always made her cry thinking of her dad. Of all those who had been taken from her, he was the one she missed the most. Kit got out of the cockpit and slid down the ladder and stood a short distance away as Starscream transformed. He turned his dark red gaze towards the stars.

"I don't understand humans," the bot began. "And I found myself saddled with you."

Kit fought the urge to wince at his words knowing that was what it was. He didn't care or even remotely respect her. They weren't partners, they were master and slave. "However."

The Lieutenant's thoughts stopped wondering what he was going to say next.

"You are different than the others. Despite everything that has been taken from you and what has been expected of you, you manage to come out of it somewhat unscathed."

"I carry the scars of my past Starscream but my dad's last words are what make me fight that much harder when I find myself hurting."

"And what was that?"

"With his dying breath he told me 'Never give up no matter what is thrown at me'. Those lines maybe cliché to someone else but they've founded my entire strength."

The big bot sat down and Kit hauled herself up onto his shoulder. She held onto his shoulder plate and looked towards the stars. "Believe it or not I was once weak. The slightest things made me cry, and I took people's words to heart."

"I doubt that…"

"I'm telling the truth."

Before anything else could be said something landed not to far away from them. Starscream rose once he steadied his rider. He was above the tree line and what ever it was, was shorter than the tree line. Something grated as if metal were shifting.

"It's either an Autobot or Decepticon," she stated calmly.

The bot only made an odd sound that she took as one of annoyance. She would have laughed if it hadn't been for the serious moment. They moved forward to see a bot that Kit had never seen before. Starscream backed up a bit. That attracted the gaze of the bot. Starscream was about to turn and walk away but three more forms dropped down around them. Kit held on tighter and looked around. All four of the bots bore the mark of the Decepticons. Starscream carefully pried the Lieutenant off of him. Kit stood in confusion and stood underneath the jet Decepticon. The bots moved closer.

"So protective of a little human Starscream," one bot said. "How disgusting."

Anger flared up in Kit as she was about to say something to defend her partner. The big bot stepped forward so the others couldn't see her.

"Lord Megatron wants the girl Starscream."

Starscream shifted from one foot to the other. The tension in the air was getting thicker and thicker. The feeling of dread was washing over her like an icy tidal wave. The familiar hum of chopper blades made Kit smirk. She knew that the others wouldn't allow them much time alone considering how close the final confrontation was. As predicted Blackout, Thundercracker, and Jetfire landed gracefully around them. That's when Megatron's goons leapt for Starscream figuring he'd be the toughest. Kit barely managed to dodge Starscream's feet as he shot forward. Before she could even utter a word one of the enemy bots backhanded her. The last thing she remembered was the mind numbing pain as she hit the tree.

Starscream watched in horror as Kit hit the tree. The sound of her heartbeat was slowing down. He went to go for her but the leader of the four stepped in his way and stood in a challenging stance. Looking around he noticed Blackout was going to be able to get to her the fastest.

"Blackout get her out of here!"

Blackout nodded and went for her. Combat was going on around them in various stages of flight and not flight. An enemy bot went for her but was stopped by a familiar silver bot blocked his path. The worry lessened a small bit recognizing Jazz.

"Get her out of here!" the silver Autobot shouted.

The chopper carefully picked Kit up and leapt into the air. He didn't stop until he was on base and had Kit in a medics care.

The rest of the team returned two hours later. Storm Chaser was waiting for them with Blackout. The tension in the air was thick. The four bots approached cautiously wondering if Kit had made it. They wondered if there was something going on that would change things. Starscream knew what ever had happened to his charge hadn't been good.

"Kit's in a coma with internal bleeding and a few broken ribs. The doctors don't know if she'll pull through."

Starscream turned from the group and was about ready to shift.

"Don't even think about it Starscream," Storm Chaser warned.

The Jet Decepticon turned his blazing red eyes on the pilot. The human didn't even flinch at the blazing red of the jet's eyes.

"There is nothing left here if she's not going to be around."

"If you think she'd give up like that and die, you honestly don't know your partner very well do you?"

A woman walked towards them with a confident stride. Her long dark hair was tied up in a tight bun. Her eyes were like cold emerald stones. Her heels clicked rhythmically on the pavement. The strides she used were strong and as if she was on a mission.

"Miss should you be here?" Storm Chaser asked cautiously.

"I have permission and that's all you need to know."

"And you are?" Starscream demanded.

The girl turned to face the Decepticon without fear in her eyes.

"Of all people they'd call to try and get through to her I expected you to be the very last," someone said from behind them.

A man with a duffle bag hung over his shoulder approached. His short dark brown hair curled slightly, and his eyes were an angry blue. The look the two of them shared wasn't a friendly one.

"Apparently they thought I had some value here."

Every bot and Storm Chaser were getting irritated rather quickly by the insistent bickering these two started. Storm Chaser noticed the ridged stance of the partner bots. Starscream looked about ready to pounce or snarl.

"If the two of you don't shut up and put your differences aside I will have you removed from this base," Storm Chaser stated callously. "And I am pretty sure that Starscream will have no problems with kicking you literally off the base."

That shut them up. He looked at them carefully. "Now state your names and we'll go from there."

"I'm Anastasia Black."

"I'm Brandon Parker."

The naval pilot shook his head. From what Kit had told him these two wouldn't ever be able to work together. Storm Chaser was sure that once upon a time Kit had been the glue that held them together but once one abandoned her, the rest of the bonding fell apart. It had gotten to the point where she felt she hadn't been needed anymore.

"Now, while you are here there will be no fighting or speaking badly of each other…"

"What is this, a detention center?" Anastasia snapped darkly.

"If that's what you want it to be then that's what it will be. I will not stand by while you two bicker. Right at this point that girl's life hangs in the balance."

The bots around them shifted nervously as if waiting for a battle to erupt. Starscream turned his back on this fight and began to walk away. When he was a good distance away he shifted and took off.

"What's his problem?" Brandon asked.

"One can never know with Starscream," Jazz replied.

"I will get you settled in," Storm Chaser stated calmly. "Jazz you might want to inform Optimus of this new development."

The silver Solstice nodded before shifting into his car form. He took off. The two newbies stared in awe after the silver autobot.

"We'll be around if you need us," Blackout offered.

Storm Chaser just nodded his head before turning to face the two. With a quick gesture of his head, the two humans followed the pilot towards the barracks. Rubbing his forehead he knew this was going to be a mess before this was over.