A/N : This is the previous chapter, in Starscream's POV. Hopefully I can explain better a few things about the infiltration. I have a feeling I'm going to muck it up, so please excuse anything that ends up terribly written. As with the last, any help on improvement is appreciated.

"Be advised: Autobot Mirage is in the room," Soundwave sends to Megatron and myself, helm bowed slightly, just as I hand the datapad to our leader. Interesting. I had assumed the Auto-idiot had left by this point. I barely keep a handle on the rage I feel suddenly. My trine mates at my side are angry as I forward this message to them. It takes effort for the four of us to keep our face plates neutral and not lung at the area Soundwave was showing us on our radars. Megatron stiffens slightly, but he does it in just a way that it seems to be as a result of looking through the information I've handed him.

My datapad merely holds a potential plan, pros and cons, for creating our own energon without having to steal from the humans on the planet. Without human involvement, the Autobots wouldn't be as aware of our activities, leaving us free to gather much needed supplies while having the Autobots get comfortable. Once we gather enough energy, we can attack to our leader's content. True, the Autobots may get suspicious and attack us, but if we cover our tracks well enough by making them suspect we're up to something else, they can't stop us.

Deception is all apart of the game after all.

Megatron makes a "hmm" sound before handing the pad back to me. He didn't look over it very thoroughly, and I fight back the anger at that. It wouldn't do to glitch out at the moment. Not that glitching is ever pleasant... But at least I can fight it back now. Thank Primus that Hook was able to make a break through on it. "These are devastating numbers." I flinch at the smooth anger in his voice, my processor telling me to run before I get slagged. "You've run the calculation twice, correct Starscream?"

There's something in his tone to suggest he's not referring to my datapad. Thinking as quick as I can, I come up with an alternate story. To one which I have also listed on a different pad. The soldiers would get rowdy if they heard our supply of high grade, as well as certain other frivolous items, are diminishing. Soundwave is aware of this, as his Cassettes often end up with inventory. "Three times even. There's going to be problems among the soldiers if word gets out."

A small shift of an eye ridge tells me Megatron is slightly amused with the response I've given. "Yes... they will certainly become troublesome if this is the case. Have you found anything that may be an alternative?" Interesting return. So he wasn't aware of that after all. Either that, or he's spinning a completely new story. Either is completely possible.

I sense, through Soundwave, Mirage stepping closer to me, and I shift so he can't read the pad. "Aside from the normal alternative? No, nothing jumps out." Thundercracker moves closer to where Soundwave indicates Mirage is, and for a moment I feel as if Thundercracker is going to jump the spy. I'd be immensly happy if he did, but I have a feeling our leader wouldn't be as thrilled. Megatron had his reasons after all... and as the spy has continually been allowed to live, I suspect Megatron has a plan for the spy.

"What of the Constructicons? Are they prepared?"

That question throws me a moment. Soundwave answers automatically though, so I merely twitch my wings. "All units: Ready and Prepared. Awaiting orders."

Megatron turns his gaze to Mirage, "Make him suspect we're up to something else. Correct Starscream? This will aide in whatever theory you were reporting to me in the future." I twitch my wings in a response I know he catches, rather than respond over the coms, showing I understand. I'll hand him my findings later. "Alright. We'll have to carry out plan B. The Autobots shouldn't be expecting anything, giving us a leg up. Make sure everyone knows to tread lightly, or I shall come after them."

Soundwave nods slightly and I respond to Megatron's half-afted order with a "Yes sir". Our leader turns to walk away and Soundwave turns back to his station. "Starscream, Soundwave, if the spy tries anything, bring him to me. I think we're past allowing Autobots free reign of our base. He's over stayed his welcome."

Without my asking, Soundwave continues to forward the Spy's location to me, and I in turn, continue to forward it to Thundercracker, Skywarp and Dirge. Dirge, though he is still immensely withdrawn, reports when Mirage brushes his wing tip. Thundercracker glares at Mirage in response as the spy tries to catch up with me. I can feel agitation from both Warp and TC.

I feel the same and it takes every ounce of control I have not to shoot the slagger. We still hadn't been able to revenge Thrust and Ramjet, and Mirage's presence in our base was making us angry beyond reason. Megatron hadn't relented his orders to allow Mirage's spying though, and so we were stuck. Until now... If that Autobot thinks he's going to look at my datapad, he's sorely mistaken. I won't let this plan backfire.

When we entire our quarters, I smirk deviously. The idiot follows us in without any regard to his life. I contact Megatron to expect Mirage's presence in his personal quarters in a few clicks, to which I receive an annoyed "hum" in response. I give an unspoken command to my wing mates to recharge "with one optic online" with a flick of my right wing and a concealed swish of my wrist. They immediately respond with a twitch of their wings and Dirge and TC sit against the wall on Dirge's berth as Skywarp rests his optics on his own.

I sit on my berth and tap my pad, bringing up a blank screen, just in case the Bot got lucky and saw the screen. As Mirage moves closer, I shift and set the datapad beside me, and I inwardly smirk at the near palpable frustration I get in response. As he moves closer to attempt to view the pad, I let out an annoyed though quiet, "Foolish Autobot." I can feel the brush of air suggesting I'd startled him. Had Soundwave not been showing me his location, I would have thought my sensors overactive.

I look directly at "him", though all I see myself is the wall on the other side of the room. "You should know it's not polite to spy." As the blip on my radar steps away, I follow with my optics. Panic. I could feel it starting to poison the air, and it makes me grin with anticipation. Before he can complete another step back, I've stood and grabbed his arm. Strange to feel an arm when optic sensors are telling you nothing is there. That sensation lasts for only a moment as Mirage drops his cloak. I feel him shiver.

"Fool. Did you believe your presence to be unknown? You have a lot of nerve coming here and expecting to live. Many Decepticons want an Autobot to play with, and now that you've volunteered, perhaps Lord Megatron will allow it to them." I say all of this merely as a wake up call for Skywarp, who had fallen into deeper recharge than planned. My words as well as a prodding through the bond from TC wake him, and my third slips behind us and warps us to Megatron's quarters when I order it through the bond.

Megatron is standing when we arrive. As I shake off the effects of the warp and Skywarp disappears, our leader turns to us with a nasty smile I normally only see when I've glitched out and it takes all of my will power not to flinch. A wave tells me to let Mirage go, and I do so quickly before stepping back. A powerful hit sends Mirage to the floor. Having felt that particular hit before, I feel for the Autobot a moment.

I bring my datapad up and study the plan I'd outlined before. I heard Megatron talking, and I tried to keep my attention off of it. Calculations still ring true, just as they had before, meaning we should be fine to make our own power plant in a secure location, or even, on base if our leader wants. So long as he's fine with the drilling the Constructicons are going to have to do. And as long as we can keep the Autobots from infiltrating and destroying the plant (and subsequently the base), everything should run smoothly.

I glance up as Skywarp makes a sudden appearance with Dirge and Thundercracker. Mirage is unconscious, but still living it seems. Anticipation flows through the trine bond, and I see Dirge's wings quiver with it as well. Its then I realize what is being planned. So long as he's not killed, Dirge can beat the slag out of Mirage to his spark's content.

Megatron is planning something. Or maybe he's just making an example.