Disclaimer: I do not own Transformers. The characters and events in this story are purely fictional. Any resemblance to actual Autobots or their human allies is coincidental and completely unintentional.
Lone Star Landing
Prologue
Tailgate honed in on the little blue and green planet with great anticipation. For many eons he had been alone, searching for the Allspark. Far too long to be without any companionship. Oh, he communicated with his friends, those who were left at any rate. But the loneliness was hard on his spark. So much so he had started to doubt what the use was in searching for the AllSpark. Then to receive that transmission from Prime himself.
It was almost too good to be true.
If this planet… Earth it was called by its local inhabitants… was to be their new home it meant his mission was over. The Allspark had been found. Tailgate did not understand why that would mean adopting a new home world rather than returning to Cybertron, but he trusted Prime.
This is a remarkable star system. Tailgate mused to himself as he shot past a large gas giant with a sweep of gloriously twinkling rings. There had been another, bluish gas giant further out that had had a smaller circle of rings, but its planetary axis had been almost perpendicular to this one. And his current course would take him near a swirling orange and gold planet that was the largest thing in the system other than the star itself.
A star! Tailgate had explored several systems with stars and was almost ecstatic that his new home would be one. That meant sun rises and sun sets ands a plentiful power source. If the star was strong enough and if this Earth was close enough to it that was.
The scout, the explorer in Tailgate almost ached to take a closer look at all the scientific wonders this system held.
But then, Prime's transmission had said something about living among the people of Earth. That meant intelligence. He could not wait to meet the Mechs of Earth, though why any Mech would call a planet "Earth" was beyond him. Perhaps a Femme and designated the planet.
Oooh, a planet of Femmes. That was an inspiring thought.
With one last, lingering look at the gracefully ringed planet, Tailgate increased his speed.
He angled toward the largest of gas giants, eagerly looking forward to whatever sensor readings he could get, even if only in passing. Perhaps after he reported in to Prime he would be allowed to explore.
So caught up in his scans of one of the planet's moons, assuming the system to be safe if Prime had declared it their new home, he did not see the two Seekers that were swiftly closing on him.
Until a powerful blast of energy hit him, sending his cometary form spinning. With a yelp Tailgate transformed, bringing his ion cannon to bear, only to be hit again. Instinctively he fired back, but the pain radiating from his side caused his shot to miss.
"Slaggit!" Tailgate numbed the sensors in that area and took aim again. This time he managed to hit his opponent.
"C'mere you worthless scrap!"
Tailgate whirled around to face a third foe. He knew that voice. "Starscream." He fired, but the Air Commander easily dodged, cackling as he did so.
A shot from one of his initial assailants nearly took off Tailgate's leg. He yelped again and fired back. But the Decepticons were now closing from three directions. And the massive gravity well of the planet was starting to tug on him from the forth. He might be brave and even foolhardy at times, but Tailgate knew when he was outgunned.
He also knew that if the Decepticons were here, he had to make sure Prime knew they were up to something. He had to survive.
It strained his internals to run from a fight, but his duty was to report this development to his commander. And this would probably not be easy. With determination settling into his processors, Tailgate folded himself quickly back into his cometary form and accelerated, aiming slightly out of the plane of the solar system and between the smallest of the Seekers and their commander.
"Nooo, you miscreant 'bot! Get him, don't let the glitch get a way." Tailgate could hear Starscream screech at his followers.
He poured on the acceleration, knowing there was no way he would be able to avoid a pounding. As expected, the weapons fire started almost immediately and only intensified as he closed on the two Seekers, the mighty pull of the planet's gravity working to keep him from leaving. Propulsion system straining against both the laws of physics and damage sustained in the opening salvoes of this skirmish, Tailgate frantically prayed to Primus that his desperate gamble would pay off.
Frag my curiosity! He swore at himself, his protective shell now almost constantly buffeted by the two 'Cons. Almost there….
He felt the planet's gravity slowly loose its hold and his speed increased. In a final move of desperation he unlimbered two weapons and fired almost blindly at his foes, not expecting to actually score a shot, only wanting them to be forced to dodge just long enough for him to get enough distance to make his escape.
Frag me, I think it worked! Tailgate exulted as the fire ceased momentarily. It was not much, but it was enough.
He tucked his weapons back into himself and diverted every last available erg of power into his drive systems, exceedingly grateful he had upgraded his propulsion systems before accepting the scouting assignment.
Slowly he managed to pull away from the three 'Cons, though he was less than surprised when one of them stayed on his tail. Of course he would be followed. That all three of them did not join the pursuit could only mean they had more reinforcements on Earth.
Fraggit!
He could only hope Prime had enough forces to deal with whatever he would face once he landed on Earth. Speaking of which, he needed to let them know he was in coming. Technically he should have done that the moment he entered the star system. But he had been too distracted by the natural wonders that had greeted him. Slag his curiosity!
With an internal sigh he activated his com. A sensor blowing, shrieking hiss greeted his audios. He shut it off and ran a quick diagnostic. His communication system was completely slagged. Everything but vocal processors. He had no way of telling the others he was coming. No way to communicate over distance at all.
Fraggit!
… …
The relatively small world of blue and green loomed disproportionally large before him as Tailgate bore down on it with all the speed he could manage. Knowing he did not have the luxury to settle into orbit and conduct extensive scans before picking his landing site, he did the best he could, pushing his long distance scanners to their limit. Thankfully those systems were relatively undamaged.
He was flabbergasted by how much water there was on the planet. It did not seem conducive to the development of mechanical life.
Then, as he drew closer he strained to get some idea of the indigenous Mechs of Earth only to find… Organics?
That could not be.
But every scan confirmed it, and with increasing detail the closer he got.
Earth was an organic world. No wonder it had such an unimaginative name.
But, organics? How were the Autobots supposed to make a home among organics?
Feeling his processesors in a fuzz, Tailgate replayed Prime's transmission. "…We live among its people now… hiding in plain sight… protecting them in secret."
Slaggit! Tailgate hissed to himself. How could I have missed that?
But he trusted Prime. There had to be a reason, and it was doubtless a good one.
Then he was too close to think about that little conundrum any longer so he stored it way to worry about later. Using the signals from his fellow Autobots he managed to deduce which continent they were on. There was no way, with the speed and angle of his approach that he would be able to land anywhere near their exact location, but he could at least make it to the same continent.
With a determined grunt, Tailgate flipped over and fired his propulsion system, slowing himself. He gave it everything he had, determined to slow his speed enough that he would only create a mere crater, not cause an extinction level event.
And it worked.
They were supposed to be living among them in secret, so he figured it did not matter that his approach would look like a meteor to the locals. He had passed through an impressive asteroid belt just outside the orbit of the fourth planet from the star. Surely the indigenous life forms were used to seeing falling space debris.
It was the best he could do, anyway.
His sensors detected a large expanse of almost completely empty and relatively flat land ahead. Perfect.
His propulsion system continuing to protest against his former velocity and the gravity of the planet, Tailgate managed to adjust his course and speed enough that he plowed into the ground in a completely uninhabited area and only carved a long, relatively shallow scar into the soft dirt rather than a deep crater.
When he came to rest, he quickly reset his impact-addled processer and unfolded himself. He looked around eagerly curious about his new planet. It was decidedly uninteresting. At least on the surface.
Vegetation was scarce, what little he saw was ragged and seemed suited to living with little precipitation. But that was alright with him. Tailgate was not fond of water, especially water that fell on a 'Bot above with no predictable – and therefore avoidable – pattern. And the terrain was almost uniformly rolling. Nothing dramatic or stunning, but not flat. As beautiful as the planet promised to be from space, it was almost disappointing.
Then he looked up.
Instead of stars he was met with a field of the most intense blue it was almost purple. And the planet's sun blazed with yellow-white fire just past its zenith. It bathed the ground with its brilliance. Already, Tailgate could feel his energy levels responding to its powerful radiation.
He laughed and changed his initial impression. It is beautiful.
Then his sensors picked up something that was decidedly not beautiful. Several something's actually.
Scanning the area desperately he found what appeared to be a road way and headed toward it. Then he picked up transmissions. Transmissions that were decidedly not Cybertronian and yet were clearly produced by sentient life forms. Primitive, but clearly the product of intelligence. Keeping a weary sensor on the 'bots speeding toward him, Tailgate hacked into the signals.
It took almost no time to search this internet the locals… humans he corrected himself… called it. Realizing time might be of the essence, Tailgate settled for only downloading language data, basic native cultural and geographical information. Anything else would have to wait until he dealt with the quartet of Decepticons quickly closing on him.
He readied his weapon as the first three approached, fanning out, blocking his attempts to escape.
"I would have thought you would run, Tailgate!" The group's leader snidely spat at him.
"I don't care what you think, Barricade." Tailgate sneered and fired.
His blast caught the white and black Decepticon in the chest and he flew backward into a soft embankment. But that did not stop the others from coming. It was a desperate fight. Tailgate knew that. Unless Primus worked a miracle, there was little hope he could survive.
Then it was joined. He moved like lightning itself, landing blows as quickly and as hard as he could while trying to make himself as difficult a target to hit has possible. It lasted for a little while and in that time he felt the thrill of combat, the sweet rush of knowing he was alive. But there was no way it could last forever, especially not with the damage he had already incurred. Once his enemies started to land blows it did not take long for the damage to accumulate and his motions became less fluid.
Still, he numbed sensors as damage was inflicted and continued to fight.
What an irony, a part of his processers thought darkly as he dodged a blow while simultaneously sweeping the legs out from under yet another opponent. I finally make it to my new home, only to be extinguished less than a breem after landing.
He fell to the ground but used the momentum to roll back to his feet, firing as he did so. But Barricade was on him then and he flew backwards as the Decepticon swung a wicked looking mace into him. He tried to get up, but his motor processers were not responding to commands now and his left arm was completely useless.
Two of the 'Cons were lying in moaning heaps on the ground, sparks flying out of their frames at odd intervals. Not bad for a scout. He thought proudly.
He focused back on Barricade, who was approaching him, red optics blazing. With a determined effort, Tailgate managed to lever his weapon upward and took careful aim, making the seconds he had left count.
He fired.
Barricade screamed as the blast lifted him into the air and he did not immediately regain his feet after he landed. Could I have been that lucky? Tailgate wondered, hardly daring to believe it. He could feel forced stasis lock creeping up on him and fought it off.
Tailgate saw Barricade get half way up and then his world went dark.
Note: Welcome to the twisted little world of my own OC and AU. I guess one could say this story takes place somewhere in the abyss between TF1 and ROTF. You have been officially introduced to Tailgate. We will meet the lucky individual who will (obviously) become his human in the next chapter. In case anyone is worried, I don't write tear jerkers, and I certainly don't kill off a main character (one of my own creation especially) in the first chapter. Please review...