Crack (Armada episode)

Starscream must choose between the human friends he has made among the Autobots and his hunger to destroy Megatron.

Major characters: Sideways, Thrust, Starscream, Alexis, Fred, Billy, Skyboom shield / Race Team (Dirt Boss, Downshift, and Mirage)

Minor characters: Jetfire, Hot Shot, Scavenger, Red Alert, Smokescreen, Optimus Prime, Megatron, Carlos, Rad, Star Saber / Air Defense Team (Runway, Jetstorm, and Sonar), Blurr, Tidal Wave, Demolishor, Cyclonus, Wheeljack

Original air date: ?

Summary
Sideways and Thrust meet in secret to plot how to get the Mini-con weapons away from the Autobots. It is very ominous.

On Earth, Starscream isn't feeling very motivated to help the Autobots build their stupid spaceship. It's a waste of time; they could be off killing Megatron, instead of worrying about Mini-Cons. Optimus Prime explains to an exasperated Hot Shot that the Autobots should take this opportunity to try and understand what makes Autobots and Deepticons different, and learn how to work together; after all, an inability to do this is why the two factions have been fighting for so long.

Meanwhile, Starscream is quite shocked to find the human kids throwing him a surprise party. this was Alexis's idea, to thank him for the Mars rock. the kids present him with a crude but colorful sword-cleaning chamois whic they have made for him themselves. Starscream explains that he has never receives a present before, so he doesn't know how to react. When Jetfire arrives to assign Starscream to monitor duty, Starscream figures that if he slacks off, someone else will do it; Alexis has to explain the notion of teamwork to him. Starscream storms off, claiming that he needs some peace and quiet.

As with most of what starscream does, this is luster, and he does in fact end up doing his monitor duty. But when a bizarre signal appears, he goes out to investigate. He finds Thrust, who tries to talk Starscream into rejoining the Deepticons so that the two of them work against Megatron from within. Fred and Billy happen by in time to hear Thrust mention that if Starscream were to bring the kyboom shield to Megatron, he might be welcomed back.

Back at the Autobot base, Starscream watches the Race Team -- the Mini-Cons who combine to form the Skyboom -- and broods.

Fred and Billy tell the Autobots about Thrust's appearance, and how Starscream chased him away. Jetfire makes a crack about how Fred shouldn't consider Starscream a hero, which is of course the moment when Starscream walks in on the conversation. Smokescreen arrives shortly after, reporting that the Race Team have disappeared. The two kids remember that Thrust wanted them, which leads the Autobots to accuse Starscream of stealing them. Starscream doesn't bother to defend himself; he figures that trying to get along with the Autobots is a failed experiment.

the situation is interupted by a Decepticon attack, which draws the Autobots out to fight. Starscream charges out to face Thrust, drawing the Star Saber and his chamois. Thrust is still bent on convincing Starscream to work with him aainst Megatron.

Hot Shot, who had been chased into a forest by Tidal Wave, runs into Alexis, Carlos, Rad, and the Mini-Con Race Team. he kids had simply taken the Mini-Cons for a walk. Hot Shot realizes he was wrong to accuse Starscream, and asks the Mini-Cons to help him.

Starscream can't figure out why he won't just kill Thrus and be done with it. Thrust opines that working with the Autobots has caused him to go soft, forget his heritage.

With the battle over, the Autobots let thei guad down long enough for Starscream to snatch the Skyboom. Wielding both it and the Star Saber, Starscream goes to meet with Thrust, leting the chamois fall to Earth behind him. He wonders whether he's doing the right thing, but he knows that he must do anything to bring Megatron down. He knows that he will never forget the human kids, and in his heart he thanks them.