Disclaimer: We do not own Transformers Prime or its canon characters; Hasbro and the Hub do. We do however own our OCs. Blondie-moyashi owns the lovely Skye Shelsher, Plasmarift and Silverblaze, and Dream'sRealm owns Darkstorm, Skybreak, Emusa, Starlight, Drift, Shiv, Jolt, Blackout, Air Raid, Caliber, Speedway, and Jetfire.

Theme Song: Struggle by Apocalyptica

Everyone in the meeting room tensed as Sunstorm and Slipstream entered.

"The frag is he doing here?" Chromia questioned roughly.

Sunstorm's fiery gaze turned to her. "I am here to help retrieve Darkstorm, the same reason you all are gathered here. It is my fault she was captured and so it is my responsibility to aide in getting her back."

"Pit yeah it's your fault," Bumblebee snarled, doorwings flaring. "If you hadn't come here, none of this would have happened!"

Several other shouts of agreement echoed across the room before Optimus silenced the din with a mere look. "Enough," he ordered. "In these dire circumstances, we must consider every possible outcome and since Slipstream and Sunstorm have encountered these Seekers before, their counsel can be invaluable."

"Invaluable my aft!" Bumblebee spat. "They've brought trouble ever since day one. Because of them, my sparkmate's gone. As far as I'm concerned, we should just give them up and get it over with."

Skybreak stood up, staring the Praxian down. "You try that and I'll blow your slaggin' helm off, bug."

"Enough! Both of you!" Dreadwing too stood, walking over to the pair and pulling them apart. He glared at them both pointedly. Bumblebee gave the royals one last look of contempt before going to the other side of the room whilst Skybreak glared after him, joining Slipstream's side.

Once the situation had been diffused, Dreadwing turned to address the room full of bots. "You know I love Dar'sain and that I helped raise her and her brother. I fear for her safety and want nothing more than to make those who took her pay." He vented. "But, I also realize how dangerous these Seekers can be. My creators were murdered by them during the coup to overthrow the royal family and court. I hold no loyalty to monarchy but I realize what a dangerous situation we now face. Let them speak."

Silence eclipsed the room before Slipstream vented. She looked from Dreadwing to the group, arms crossed. "First thing you should know is that we neither wanted any harm to come to you, nor did we expect them to make a move against us once we found shelter here. We didn't mean for this to happen and will be working just as hard to get Darkstorm back as any of you. Maybe you should . . ." Slipstream looked to her brother then back to the group again with some hesitation. "Maybe you should know more about the ones who took her. Or at least what we know about them and our . . . history."

The Seeker femme vented again, now averting her gaze from everyone, her brother included. "They're thieves, smugglers, outlaws . . . in a word, pirates. Everyone had trouble with groups like them both before and during the War, but it didn't get bad until after the coup. I believe that's when this particular band became active." Slipstream paused, not sure how to phrase their history with the group without painting her brother and herself as the monsters they probably were.

Sunstorm hesitated before wrapping one of his servo's in his sister's. "I am sure you all are well aware of how Starscream took Vos. Our home erupted into chaos and so we were forced to flee. But still, the revolutionaries pursued us at every turn. My sister and I tried everything, but they survived every battle we fought. We… had no choice but to seek shelter here. After all, a mere band of criminals could not stand against the faction that won the war for Cybertron. At least, that's what we had come to believe."

"In our last encounter we . . ." Slipstream hung her helm in shame. "We put the lives of some of the innocents under their watch in danger. They had a refugee camp and . . ." She stopped, hoping the others would get the idea before she made it sound just as bad as it truly was.

"Sounds to me like the so-called criminals are the ones we should be helping," Seaspray stated, crossing his arms over his chassis with a glare.

Optimus dwelt upon this before asking, "Was it your intention to do so? Did you attack knowing it would cause harm to those who would not fight?"

"W-well no, not exactly. We were just trying to take our home back, but they said they wouldn't allow royalty to reclaim Vos. Before we even knew what was happening a fight broke out, then we were running, then we . . . we stumbled upon the refugees. We were cornered and I acted without thinking." She glanced at the others, optics still full of shame, but couldn't maintain optic contact with anyone. "I'm not proud of it, but it's what happened."

A long and rather painful silence enveloped the chamber until Optimus said, "I will help you."

Outcries of discontent erupted from nearly every single member. "Ya can't be serious, Prime!" Ironhide argued.

"How do we even know they're telling the truth?" Flareup added.

"We don't," he conceded. "But Darkstorm's fate hangs in the balance. I had Ratchet scan the planet and he discovered that Vos was cloaked. They are there, waiting for us to act. But we will not do so with violence unless absolutely necessary. A peace treaty must be negotiated before anything else is done."

Sunstorm nodded his thanks before exiting the room, ignoring the blatant looks of disgust and hatred that followed him until he left. He was a monster; he knew that full well.

But this time he would sink to the pit before he let an innocent like Dar'sain pay for his mistakes.

Once Sunstorm had gone, Skybreak vented and wrapped an arm around Slipstream's shoulders. "Let's hope this works, gorgeous."

She neither acknowledged the contact nor looked up at him. She simply maintained her gaze on the floor. This shame, self-loathing . . . was this how Sunstorm felt his whole life?

Skybreak frowned. "Slipstream… please, look at me."

She didn't immediately respond, but figured that if she didn't react he'd just say it again. So, after a moment, she half-heartedly looked up at him.

Skybreak's spark nearly broke as he saw the shame in her gaze. "Please, don't do that… No one blames you for what happened. I certainly don't."

She lowered her optics but was still facing the mech. "Darkstorm may very well be paying for a mistake I made, your sister. How am I not supposed to blame myself? How can I expect you not to?"

"Because you didn't take her, those pirates or whatever they are did. You must have forgotten that I'm an ex-Con," he half smiled sadly. "I saw things… did things that no one should ever do, even to my sister. And yet you didn't condemn me. Why should I treat you any different?"

"Because you've changed? No one would know you were a Decepticon if you didn't have your physical signs. And your actions show you're not proud of who you were a long time ago." She lowered her helm again. "Mine were far more recent, and anyone within the solar system can see I'm still the same old Vos princess."

Skybreak gently lifted her helm upwards with a digit in order to meet his gaze. "Not to me. You never will be to me."

Slipstream vented and lightly nodded, though it seemed more of a "yeah okay" than actually taking the words in. After a moment she rested her helm on his shoulder plating, as though taking solace in the one presence that wasn't judging her.

Skybreak wrapped his arms around her, glaring at anyone who got too close. The least he could do for her was to let her have some semblance of peace, especially after all that she's been through. She deserved that much.

"I wasn't lying when I said I see a treasure when I see you," he whispered.

Slipstream's normal response would've been silence, as she wasn't one for showing emotion, but in this case she felt silence would have added to her guilt. "And I don't believe I've ever told you, but you're a rarity yourself."

"Well, I must be if I've been blessed with you," Skybreak remarked with a slight smile before venting. "We'll get through this, Slipstream. I know we will."

Slipstream didn't possess the confidence to say "I know" or something of the like, so her answer was another nod.

Darkstorm looked up as she saw the supposed leader of this small band enter her quarters. She vented. "Please… if you will not let me go, then at least let me repair those who need my help out there. I'm a simple medic. That's why I answered Thunderblast's signal."

"I know, and I do apologize for using such a ruse to lure you here." The femme stopped in front of Darkstorm, holding a small cube of energon in front of her. "But I have a lot of lives depending on me, and some of them can no longer wait for action. As for your assertion of not letting you go, we will actually be doing just that shortly."

Darkstorm studied the femme with a mixture of caution and curiosity before she took the cube. The sparklings she carried would need it. "What is this about?" she asked softly. "Why did you go to such great lengths to lure me here? And what is your business with Sunstorm?"

"I suppose I do owe you an explanation." The other Seeker vented. "I'm afraid the whole issue is a long story, but suffice to say that everyone here has one thing in common: we don't want to see Vos reclaimed by the royal family. See, before the coup I personally was a citizen here, a fairly well-to-do one even. But even though my family was loyal to them, the royals made life horrible for us, even before the coup. It became bad enough that many of us took to the stars before the war on the surface even got into full swing. Now, I don't tell you this for sympathy or pity, but to share but one side of what happened here before the mass exodus. Everyone you passed walking in has such a story, and I've promised them that it won't happen again.

"Now, where you come in is fairly simple. We've tried, and failed, to deter the royal pests from Vos on multiple occasions, but they are dead set in taking back 'their throne.' Last time it came to blows and we almost lost some refugees. Fighting with myself or someone with arms is one thing, but when they endangered the lives of younglings that was quite another. So we opted for a simple but final plan. We shake them to their core-take someone or something they'll be eager to get back-and let them know that they can either leave these bots to live peacefully in a new Vos, or be offlined."

Darkstorm listened patiently until the femme was finished before she vented, debating on how to answer. At last, she replied, "I am terribly sorry. A dear friend of mine, Dreadwing, lost his creators during the coup, though they were on the opposite side." She met the other femme's gaze. "I can see that your spark is in the right place and it is my only wish to help you but more spilt energon is not the answer. Innocents have been terminated on either side and I do not wish to add more. While Sunstorm and Slipstream have their flaws, they are changing and wish desperately for peace. Please, allow me to take you to Optimus and the others. All will be forgiven and this whole fracas can be laid to rest once and for all."

The femme seemed to calm, if only slightly, at one of the names mentioned. "I have always admired Optimus Prime in his efforts to protect innocents and reform the leadership, but I couldn't join his cause because I saw firsthand that 'talking things out' only ended with someone mopping energon up off the streets. No, if 'Optimus and the others' want to join our rendezvous that's one thing, but I've been tracking Sunstorm and Slipstream for too long to just let them go now."

"I feared you would say that," Darkstorm's smile faltered. "But I have served as an Autobot too long than to give up a chance for peace. If they come as you say, please at least promise me that no harm shall come to them. Optimus wants this to end just as you do."

"As I said, I admire Prime, and it would be horribly hypocritical for me to issue an ultimatum based on the harm of innocents only to harm those not involved with the issue. You have my word that you and anyone else who makes an appearance is safe from harm. I'm a good shot, and I only have my weapon trained on two bots."

Darkstorm took on a pained expression. "And if Slipstream and Sunstorm are unarmed and want peace just as much as you? What will you do then?"

"That's a very large 'if,'" the femme looked away, as though thinking about the possibility despite how ridiculous it seemed. "But if they claim to want peace, they'd better have a slagging good explanation for their actions."

Darkstorm vented softly. "In truth, I disliked both Sunstorm and his sister when they arrived in Iacon. Slipstream seemed cold, sparkless, and Sunstorm made his advances even though I was bonded to another mech, a 'blasphemous grounder' in his words." She half smiled. "But, as I said before, I have seen them change. Slipstream has found love with a low class Seeker born in Kaon, something she swore never to do." Darkstorm took care not to mention that that very same mech was her brother. She didn't want Skybreak involved. "And Sunstorm has seen the error of his ways. He is kind now, so hesitant and unsure. Talk with them and you will see."

The femme's expression took on a dark tone as Darkstorm spoke. "'Blasphemous grounder,' huh? Some things didn't change after all these voors, it seems. I remember hearing that same phrase before they offlined-" She stopped herself, her expression changing to one of shock, as though she almost said too much. She recovered and resumed the grim look she'd had for most of the conversation. "Maybe they have changed, but that still doesn't mean they'll be welcome back here. Many of us have suffered in too many ways for an 'I'm sorry, I promise I won't do it again' to suffice."

"I understand but remember, Skydancer, forgiveness is the first step to healing." Darkstorm's gaze faltered. "Believe me, I know."

"Forgive me if I'm bitter that my son never met his sire, or that I found his sire in a scrapheap, but my story is but one of many of such stories in these walls scrounging for energon."

Darkstorm froze, optics filling with emotion as she turned to the femme. "W-What?"

She crossed her arms and took a deep breath. "You heard correctly. I befriended a grounder living in the streets, in hiding, when I was young. We became the best of friends and all that, and when we were old enough we bonded. I was disowned before my whole family could be implemented, and we spent our days living off whatever we could find. Then one cycle I found my sparkmate on a pile of scrap with wounds from Enforcers' weapons. All of this because of the royalty's laws against mingling between Seekers and grounders."

Darkstorm seemed to hesitate before placing a comforting servo on her shoulder plating. So that was why Sunstorm became so violent when I was sparked, she thought. "I'm… I'm sorry."

The femme took a step back, pulling her shoulder out from under Darkstorm's servo. "I didn't tell you for your pity. I told you so that you understand why I can't let such a rule come over my home again. One family shouldn't be allowed to determine the fate of so many others. And that is why I'm doing what I am. That is why my son doesn't know what it's like to be a youngling so that so many others can."

The former Decepticon was silent for several moments until she asked softly, "I understand and if it is any consolation, I too know what it feels like to be robbed of my childhood…" She vented, wings drooping, before turning to the femme again. "Before you release me in this confrontation of yours, can I at least see to the wounded that you have? I attempted to reason with Thunderblast but he would not listen."

"Thunderblast is only trying to protect the refugees by not letting you roam free, but I'll see wha-"

She was cut off by a young mech a bit younger than Darkstorm bursting into the room. "Carrier, we have a problem. You know that femme who showed up a couple cycles ago?"

The femme nodded, "The one who's sparked?"

"I think she's going into labor."

The two exchanged panicked glances, in varying degrees, before both looked to Darkstorm. "You wanted to help them, you said? Well now might be your chance."

Darkstorm nodded solemnly before gathering her tools. She had left most of the bigger ones at the base but these would have to do. She turned to Skydancer's son. "Take me to her, now." He nodded, as though used to being barked orders, before turning and hurriedly leading Darkstorm back to the main room.

Darkstorm immediately began working, occasionally ordering the mech to fetch this or that. "Shh, it's alright," she soothed the femme. "You're doing just fine."

"I-I c-can't-" she sobbed.

"Yes, you can," Darkstorm said calmly, stroking her helm comfortingly. "You're almost there. Just keep pushing."

The young mech who'd retrieved Darkstorm kept looking between the two femmes. "H-have you ever done this before?"

"Yes," Darkstorm retorted a bit more curtly than she intended. Her own abdomen was beginning to cramp the harder she worked. She attempted to soften her tone as the femme cried out in pain again. "It's alright… You're doing wonderfully. There, that's it."

A few more agonizing minutes passed by before, much to Darkstorm's delight, a second cry could be heard, mixing with the femme's. Coolant welled in Darkstorm's optics as she handed the beautiful Seeker femmeling to her carrier. "It's a femme…"

Tears streamed down the carrier's facial plating as she cradled her sparkling to her chassis. A few peaceful moments passed before she turned to Darkstorm, optics portraying her gratitude. "Thank you."

Darkstorm smiled warmly despite the pain that she felt. "You are most welcome." She placed a servo on the femme's arm. "Now, rest. If you need anything, I won't be far away."

The femme nodded tiredly before Darkstorm turned to the mech, gesturing to her energon stained servos. "Do you have a place where I can wash up?"

"Errr, there's a washroom I can take you to but it doesn't always work right."

Darkstorm half smiled. "It will have to do." She winced, placing a servo over her abdomen. There, there, little ones, she silently soothed. We will be alright. You'll see. We just need to have faith.

The mech took on a concerned expression but seemed hesitant to announce it. "A-are you alright?"

Darkstorm attempted to smile encouragingly but the expression seemed pained. "Just a sparked femme's minor complaints." She tilted her helm. "I don't believe I caught your name. I wish to properly thank the mech that helped me with the delivery... and apologize if my behavior was less than pleasant."

"Oh no it-it's no big deal. I'm used to doing stuff like this. Well not stuff like this but I'm used to helping out and whatnot. A-and less 'pleasant' bots too-if that was you being unpleasant, your bad cycles are better than a lot of bots my carrier works with on their good cycles." He paused, seeming to have forgotten or only just noticed something. "M-my name? Oh it's nothing special . . . just Chimero . . . nothing fancy or cool or anything."

Darkstorm chuckled. He reminded her of Rafael. "Chimero. For the record, I think it's 'cool.'" She smiled. "My designation is Darkstorm and I must say, it is an honor to meet you."

He looked at Darkstorm's facial plating with surprised optics before hesitantly replying, "A-nd same to you."

"So, washroom?"

He widened his optics even further, "Oh slag, yes! Ack sl-sorry for my language." He smiled nervously as he looked at the nearby halls before leading Darkstorm down one. "I was kinda raised by pirates, and the femmes curse even worse than the mechs. I-I've always tried not to but I slip sometimes."

Darkstorm laughed lightly. "You should meet my brother. The mechs in Kaon curse more than anyone I've ever known."

Chimero looked to her, surprise again dominating his features. "Whoa, you're from Kaon? I read about that place, it sounds really scary. W-well you know, not that I think you're scary, just that it's where Megatron- . . . shutting up." He looked to his peddes as he continued walking, probably in an effort to avoid further embarrassing himself.

Darkstorm shook her helm with a smile. "There is no need to be embarrassed. But you would be correct in saying that it is 'scary', especially for orphans like my brother and I. But it wasn't all bad. Two Seekers took us in… and I rather enjoyed life there with them. If you stay away from the alleys at night and the gladiatorial pits, it isn't too terrible."

His face took on a tone of shocked horror. "R-really? Alleys at night are really as bad as they say? I mean I've heard stories from the mechs, but I thought they were just messing with me to get a rise out of me."

"I'm afraid so. But, contrary to popular belief, we weren't all criminals. Simply those down on our luck, trying to survive in a society that despised us."

Chimero averted his gaze. "Well . . . you're kinda talking to a criminal. Not really though! Like we don't hurt anyone or anything, we just used to steal and help the Autobots out by sneaking them Decepticon shipments. A-and we kinda have to steal energon right now. And I guess we kidnap on occasion . . . b-but we do it to help bots."

"Do you believe that kidnapping me is helping anyone?" Darkstorm asked the young mech with a soft gaze and tone. Goodness… he had to have fourteen voors if she had to hazard a guess.

"W-well I mean . . . my carrier does, Thunderblast does. I kinda brought up the idea of luring them somewhere, but I didn't think they'd actually take someone to do it." He vented. "I don't even know. Like . . . I don't know, I saw how ruthless they were and how they put some of the refugees at risk like they were worthless, but what if they were to be offlined and there were other royals who found out about it? I know what they mean when my carrier and her crew say the royals need to be out of the picture, but I just wish they'd just go away so the whole thing can be avoided."

"This whole thing can be avoided, Chimero," Darkstorm replied gently. "Have you ever heard of Optimus Prime?"

The mech's face lit up, almost to the point where he was unrecognizable as his embarrassed self from a moment ago. "Yes! The leader of the Autobots, formerly Orion Pax? The mech used to be a librarian and now he's won a war!" He calmed himself a bit, again his shy face taking on a nervous smile. "Y-yeah I've heard of him."

"Then you also have heard how he has turned the most dire situation into something favorable." Darkstorm paused as they reached the washroom, tentatively bending over to wash the energon from her servos. She continued, "He is in Iacon right now, most likely looking for me." She vented before meeting Chimero's gaze. "I mean no offense to those that you love but keeping me here will only make things worse. Allow me to return to Optimus and end this once and for all, peacefully."

"I hear you, but I don't know what I can do. They always have someone watching the ground bridge controls and everyone around here's so brutish that I wouldn't stand a chance." He looked at Darkstorm with an unsure expression. "Do you really think Optimus will come, or that he can help?"

"I know he can help. He ended the war, didn't he? He can help solve this." Darkstorm vented. "I will definitely have to think of something. I've told my sparkmate where to look for me but there has been no activity. They must be planning something."

"What? No, they can't come here! I-I mean my carrier aside, if things come to blows there's no way we can get all the refugees to safety in time. My carrier told them to pack up and be ready just in case, but even with a cycle of warning there's no way we can get them all set up elsewhere." Chimero vented. "Maybe . . . maybe we should let my carrier go on with her plan . . . or at least let you get to the surface soon just to keep everyone here safe . . ."

Whether it was because of the hopelessness of her situation or fatigue, Darkstorm knew not but she finally let out her frustrations. "If anyone is harmed then it will be because of your carrier's stubbornness," she replied brusquely. "If there were more bots here like you, I wouldn't be in this mess. You could have commed Optimus and all this would have been solved and I would be at home with 'Bee…" A stray drip of coolant fell out of her optics as she thought about her sparkmate. "He must be so worried… and what must Skye or Raf think? Or my dearest brother?" She shakily vented. "I was a fool for answering that comm alone."

Chimero's optics widened in panic. "Nonononono please no don't-please don't cry." He looked around, almost as though to ask someone else for help on what to do. He quickly returned his focus to the Seeker. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you cry. B-but maybe we can figure something out." He brought a servo to his helm in thought. "W-what if we let my carrier take you to the surface, but I can follow and disable the comm dampener? That way y-you could comm Optimus . . ."

Darkstorm vented and placed a servo to her forehelm, optics on the ground. "I doubt she would allow me to return… I'm a prisoner of war, remember?"

"Nununo, that was always the plan. She planned on taking you to the surface so Sunstorm or whoever would be looking for you could find your life signal again and come find you . . . then . . . kind of ambush the royals-b-but if you have Optimus or someone come then it'll be okay!"

Darkstorm took several breaths, bracing herself, before meeting Chimero's gaze. "Then by all means, take me to your carrier. This needs to end."

He shakily nodded before turning his helm to the hallway. "Yeah, um, okay uuuhhh . . ." He vented, servos in front of himself doing the "breathe in, breathe out" motion. "Okay. Yeah let's go find her . . . say crisis averted and you can go to the surface . . . there's still the matter of how I'm going to sneak on b-but let's save that bridge for when we cross it." He nervously laughed. "No pun intended."

Darkstorm weakly smiled before placing a servo on his shoulder plating. "Thank you, my friend, for agreeing to this."

He nervously shrugged at the contact. "Friend? I-is that some code for femmes? I haven't reall-no wait no you're already bonded! I'm sorry, I just-" He stopped and looked down again. "I haven't met many femmes, I'm sorry."

At seeing his nervousness, Darkstorm's smile brightened. "Well, I am pleased to be the first." Her expression slowly turned solemn. "Now, come. We haven't much time."

D/N: Whew. Got my SAT done last weekend which is a blessing and going to Knott's Scary Farm this Friday! *squeals and does happy dance* I'm so excited! Thank God for Halloween!

To Saibot- Vapor: Oh, pardon me. But, I am truly glad that things are working themselves out. May you have a lovely day, as well.

To Bluefeather4299: Because he probably will lol. And we certainly hope this chapter was just as good in your eyes as the last one.

To Super Shadic: Sorry again for the short chapter, but we're building up to the finale. And don't worry, there will be plenty more backstory.

To Windcharger: Lol, please, just Megan will suffice. And it's so good to hear from you again! I am glad you're doing well and thank you so much for your kind words.

"O Lord my God, You have performed many wonders for us. Your plans for us are too numerous to list. You have no equal. If I tried to recite all Your wonderful deeds, I would never come to the end of them" Psalm 40:5

Thank you so much for your support and may God bless you and your days!

Until next time, Dream'sRealm

B/N: Ey guys. So I'd like to point out real quick that when I first thought of Chimero, I thought of a confident guy who knows his stuff and is a competent aid. Then I started writing for him . . . and he turned out to be a guy version of myself *headdesk*. Hopefully you guys like 'im though 'cause I know I can't be the only socially-awkward "err-em" person on the interwebs, so hopefully he's relatable to some~

God bless and see you lovelies next week~ (unless you stop by our Tumblr in which case see you soon 8D)