I do not own Transformers Prime but this story is all mine!

Chapter 6

Megatron stood in the main deck looking through the windows at the planet below, a look of disgust plastered on his face.

"Soon this pitiful planet will be mine and once I'm done with it, it will be nothing but ruble!"

As Megatron continued to stare he noticed in the reflection a single orange optic staring at him appeared.

"What is it Shockwave?" Megatron said without turning around.

"I'm simply here to inform you that I have managed to crack a few more codes," Shockwave said dully.

"Anything of use?" Megatron asked turning to face his minion.

"I'm afraid not, most of it was just his days in the war academy and the rest were some passages about his distaste for you."

"That's all you could find!" Megatron yelled angrily.

"I'm sorry my lord but the hard drive contains over 400 million solar cycles of data, it will take some time before I find anything of use. Unlocking that hidden energon deposit was just a luck of the draw." Shockwave said fearing his leader's wrath.

A Vehicon came running in and interrupted the little fiasco that was occurring "My lord we have a problem!"

"What is it now!"

"The Autobots attacked us and took most of the energon we collected," the Vehicon said hesitantly already cowering under his leader's glare.

"What! Even with the help of a remote scrambler and the cover of the neighboring forests you pathetic drones can't accomplish something as simple as energon mining! What else could go wrong!" Megatron said angrily.

"Well there is more sir," the Vehicon said cowering even more if that was even possible.

"Grrr what now!" Megatron demanded.

"Before the Autobots showed up we were attacked by someone else," the Vehicon couldn't even look his leader in the eyes anymore.

"Who!"

"Well..."

Meanwhile...

Knockout was walking down the halls of the Nemesis with a happy smile on his face. After a long days work of repairing all the injured Vehicons from Megatron's various outbursts and the failed energon mining operation his med bay was finally empty of casualties. He was so ecstatic that he began to whistle a tune.

As Knockout entered the main deck he was greeted with a horrible sight, all the Vehicons stationed there were unconscious with various dents and scorch marks. The walls were covered in scorch marks and the silhouettes of blasted Vehicons, even Shockwave had a few scratches but over all he was fine. Knockout simply stared for a few seconds before turning around and exiting the room without another word.

Megatron through his hands into the air and with a blood curtailing roar "STARSCREAM!"

Later...

Starscream awoke with a start, he looked around and noticed he was surrounded by familiar tools of medical use. He saw Ratchet looking at something on his data pad, Ratchet didn't seem to notice him so Starscream cleared his throat.

"Starscream, good you're awake." Ratchet said sounding relieved.

"What happened, how long was I out?" Starscream said now noticing a sharp pain in his chest.

"Optimus and his team appeared on the scene to find you unconscious with various wounds and surrounded by Vehicons. As for how long you were out, almost a whole solar cycle. Why did you disobey your orders, you could of gotten yourself killed! You weren't fully recovered from your previous wounds, if Optimus and the others got there a little later and your wounds didn't kill you the Vehicons would of!" Ratchet sighed and shook his head.

Throughout Ratchet's scolding Starscream's head began to hurt and Ratchet's frame began to change, he became taller and his white and red color scheme became almost all white. He grew wings and was wearing a simple helmet. Standing in front of Starscream stood another familiar figure.

"I am very disappointed in you Starscream."

Starscream rubbed his optics and looked again to see Ratchet again.

"I'm sorry Ratchet, I was being reckless. When I saw the 'cons drilling into the beautiful landscape only for energon, I wanted to stop them as soon as possible. But I was in way over my head, I'm a scientist not a soldier." Starscream said sadly.

"It's okay Starscream, as long as your okay and won't be doing anything as reckless as that again you are forgiven," Ratchet said.

"Ratchet, where is everyone?" Starscream asked noticing the lack of others.

"Optimus, Bumblebee, and Bulkhead are all out on patrol. I don't know where Arcee went though, ever since she came back from patrol without you yesterday she was strangely quiet. After your call she wasn't too excited about 'kicking Decepticon skid-plates' or however you younger bot say it nowadays. But when she and the others got there from what I heard after she saw your busted body she went ballistic and got right into battle to save you. After they defeated the 'cons and brought you back I immediately began working on your repairs, after I finished Arcee would never leave your side. All night and into the morning she was still there, asleep sure but she never left your side. I finally told her to go out and get some exorcize, she was hesitant to leave but she finally complied after I promised to watch over you while she was gone," Ratchet explained.

Starscream was speechless, after last night he thought Arcee hated him for what he did, but from that story he could not deny that Arcee still cared for his well being. Starscream's vents began to increase in heat, knowing that Arcee cared enough to do all that for him made him feel hopeful. Starscream began to try and stand up, his expression now very serious.

"What are you doing!" Ratchet demanded trying to stop him.

"I have to talk to Arcee."

"You are in no condition to move around, you need more rest!" Ratchet said trying to force Starscream back into the berth.

"Ratchet please, I have to do this!" noticing Starscream's expression Ratchet finally complied.

"Fine I'll help you find her location but you are in no condition to fly there yourself so you will take the ground bridge," Ratchet walked over to the central computer and quickly found her location.

Ratchet's optics widened at Arcee's location, he knew Arcee would kill him for doing this but he sucked it up and activated the ground bridge.

"There you go, but be quick."

Starscream nodded his head and walked through the portal and found himself in front of a large canyon with the sun starting to set. He looked on in awe at the beautiful sight but then realized why he was here and began looking for the two wheeler. He spotted her sitting on a ledge and watching the sunset, she was sitting in front of a small rock structure with an object on the top. As he walked closer Arcee still didn't take any notice to him, as he got closer he could make out the object to be a horn. Starscream was now a few feet behind Arcee standing right next to the horn and she still didn't take any notice to him.

"The sunset is beautiful isn't it?" Arcee asked.

"Yes it is."

Immediately before Starscream could even blink he was staring down the barrel of Arcee's blaster, before Arcee blasted the snooper she noticed who it was.

"Starscream? You're alright! What are you doing here?" Arcee went from shocked to relieved to angry in a matter of seconds.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I awoke a few cycles ago and I wanted to talk to you so I asked help from Ratchet," Starscream explained.

"I am going to kill that medic!" Arcee thought.

"So what do you want to talk about," Arcee asked.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did, I don't think I know anyone that would go through all that trouble just for me. I'll also want to say that I'm sorry," Starscream said catching Arcee off guard.

"What I did yesterday was inappropriate, I shouldn't of made you so uncomfortable. It was ungentlemanly of me," Starscream said in shame.

Starscream felt another comforting hand on his shoulder and looked to see Arcee with a smile "It's okay Starscream, I forgive you. Sure what you did was unnecessary, but I overreacted."

Arcee grabbed Starscream's hands and held them up for them see.

"Besides, I liked your explanation. You're right, it depends on the user," Arcee said with a smile.

Starscream began to heat up at Arcee's touch and when Arcee realized what she was doing she began to heat up and let go of his hands. There was an Awkward silence and then Starscream noticed the pile rocks with the horn on it again, his curiosity peaked.

"Hey Arcee, what is this," Starscream pointed his finger at the horn.

"Don't touch it!" Arcee snapped.

Starscream quickly retracted his hand away from the horn "I'm sorry I didn't now it's important to you."

At that moment Arcee realized again just who she was talking to, she sighed and sat back down onto the ledge. Starscream was fearing that there small moment was ruined again by his foolishness

"You don't have to tell me, I'll just go," Starscream began to call Ratchet for another portal but was interrupted.

"It's what's left of my old partner, what's not tainted," Arcee said grimly. "His name was Cliffjumper, he was one of my best friends and a horrid Decepticon took his life away!" Arcee shuttered.

"Did you ever catch the 'con?" Starscream asked.

"He's long gone."

Starscream sighed and sat down next to Arcee, the whole time she never once made eye contact.

"I had a partner once," Starscream said looking at the now night sky.

Arcee surprised looked at Starscream but still refused to look him in the eyes.

"His name was Skyfire, he was my best friend in the whole world and pretty much the only one I had to talk to in the academy. The place wasn't all that was cracked up to be like I said. I was the new mech and when I got there it was pick on the new mech all around, the only one to stand up for me was Skyfire. After he helped me we instantly hit it off, we both had unimaginable love for science that was unmatched. We soon became partners, we did everything together and always conquered odds. But back then I had a need to surpass my arrogant pears that I soon started to act just like them. I always got into fights with other students and instructors, Skyfire couldn't help with everything so I got in trouble a lot. Skyfire always told me to calm down and to have fun but I never listened. He was right, he was always right and I saw it too late," Starscream said looking up at the sky again.

"One day after the news that there was a massive decrease in energon spread all over Cybertron I decided to try and solve the issue. I brought the proposal to one of my professors that exploring organic planets may give us more scientific opportunity and it may even solve our energon problem. He merely laughed and denied it saying that it would never work and that it was simply a childish idea in the first place. I told Skyfire my idea and the denial for my request, he was completely on board with my idea and was willing to help gather supporters. But I was impatient and selfish, I didn't want anyone to take the credit for my idea so I asked Skyfire to come with me alone. I could tell that he wanted to refuse but didn't want to hurt my feelings so he agreed, we rented a small cargo ship and flled with supplies and began exploring for an organic planet. After a few solar cycles of travel we made it to our destination, a small solar system full of empty planets was what we found. We examined every planet but found nothing, we came to a planet that was completely covered in ice. Examining the whole planet we came up with nothing, I was bored throughout the ordeal but Skyfire was still fascinated with the exploration of these planets even though we came up with nothing." Starscream stopped and mentally prepared himself for the next part.

"I challenged Skyfire to a race but before he could reply I activated my thrusters and sped up, after a while I stopped and declared my victory but I couldn't find Skyfire anywhere. I tried to call him through our comm but the signal was lost, I searched for him all over the planet but couldn't find him. I decided that he probably went back to the ship but when I got there it was empty, I sat there and waited for him to return. I waited for a very long time and I feared the worst, losing hope I activated the ship and departed for Cybertron. When I got back I pleaded with the academy to send a search party but they refused saying that it was my fault so it was my problem. I went to the council at Fortress Maximus in Iacon for a search and rescue, but they refused as well saying that it was a lost cause and that organic planets are forbidden for entry. I soon quiet the academy and Skyfire became a distant memory, after that I'm not sure what I did my memory is a little fuzzy." Starscream ended.

Arcee stared at Starscream straight into his eyes seeing the pain and the regret that was just as strong as her's.

"Are we good?" Starscream asked hopefully.

"Yeah, we're good. For now."

Arcee began to just stair at the beautiful night sky enjoying the silence. Starsceam did as well enjoyment over powering his previous sadness.

"Thank you Skyfire, where ever you are."

"But if you ever tell anyone about this I will shove Ratchet's scientific junk so far up you aft!"

"Dually noted."