TFPirates
Hooligans Tale
Copyright 2008, masterfwiffo. All rights reserved.
It is said that dead Sparks tell no tales. This proverb is true, after all, how can someone who exists no longer speak their mind? But, then again, not all tales are true. Not all tales have happened. Some remain just stories. And some that are wished to be only stories come true...
***
Space seemed empty. The Sword of the Fallen was a long way from any major planetary system, and the stars all seemed distant, dim. From the bridge of the Sword of the Fallen, Mirage watched the scene serenely. At the moment, the emptiness was all she wanted.
It had been a rough couple of Deca-Cycles, with Decepticon Commander Thrust and an Autobot Captain named Inferno dogging their every movement. Fed up with the constant skirmishes, Mirage ordered a retreat to this remote corner of the galaxy, where neither the Autobots or Decepticons would harass them. The strategy had worked, and Mirage was enjoying the quiet.
But one member of the crew seemed decidedly unhappy.
A bout of nervousness had overcome Cannonball, and the usually laid-back helmsman was fidgeting, casting worried glanced about. Mirage ignored the behavior as best she could, but Sharkticon, Mirage's loyal first Mate, could not.
"Will you stop that?" Sharkticon finally barked, causing Cannonball to start. "You're getting on my nerves."
"My apologies." Cannonball stammered, turning his gaze back out the viewport.
Mirage vented a sigh, and leaned forward. "Ok, out with it." She said, voice modulator disguising her true nature, making her sound more masculine. The entire crew, save Sharkticon, was unaware of her true voice. "What's bugging you, Cannonball?" Mirage asked intently.
"You don't recognize this place?" Cannonball said hesitantly.
"Should I?"
"No... it's nothing."
"If it were nothing, you wouldn't be acting like this. Out with it."
"Captain... this is the place. Where he disappeared."
Mirage glanced at her helmsman curiously. "What are you talking about?"
Cannonball dropped his voice to a whisper, as though his words had some strange power of evocation about them. "Captain... Hooligan."
Mirage leaned back in her seat and laughed, and Sharkticon shook his head in disgust. "You and your idiot superstitions." Sharkticon growled. "Hooligan indeed."
"You dare demean the name of the dead?" Cannonball whispered, his tone a mix of fear and anger.
Mirage shook her head, her modulated voice growing solemn. "Do not get me wrong, my friend. Hooligan was a wise mentor, and perhaps a greater 'bot than I. But he is gone, and that's the end of the story. His ship is mine now, and wherever he went, he's certainly no longer among the living."
"I thought that once, as well." Cannonball said quietly. "He came back then."
"This is different." Mirage shook her head again. "I don't want you to talk about it anymore. Let him rest in peace."
Cannonball didn't answer.
Mirage motioned to her first mate. "Sharkticon, let's head below decks. You coming Cannonball?"
Cannonball shook his head.
"Fine. Keep her steady."
Cannonball watched as the two left, optics narrowing. "There's no peaceful rest for the damned." He muttered.
---
"Where's Cannonball?" Wheeljack asked amiably as Mirage and Sharkticon entered the galley.
"On the bridge, muttering about things that go bump in the night." Sharkticon snorted derisively. "Sometimes, I don't know why we keep him."
"What's the old coot on about now?" Jackpot asked, a cheerful smile on his face.
"Hooligan." Mirage answered.
Jackpot, curious now, leaned forward. "What's a Hooligan?"
"Former Captain of our ship." Mirage replied. "My predecessor. A great Pirate."
"What happened to him?"
"He crawled out of an airlock and died." Sharkticon snorted. "He was crazy."
"That is hardly fair, Sharkticon." Mirage said calmly. "He disappeared from the ship. We think he jumped out of an air lock, but no one is sure. He's certainly dead, in any case."
Wheeljack shook his head. "Cannonball will buy anything you tell him. He probably thinks Hooligan's ghost is out to get him."
"Makes a great story though." Jackpot said cheerfully. "Anybody up for a game?" He said, grabbing his stack of stocks. "A game of Sharkticon, perhaps?"
Sharkticon groaned at the pun, but still pulled up a chair.
"Nah, I'm heading to my room." Wheeljack answered. "I could use a good stasis nap."
"I'm in." Mirage said, leaning forward. "See if you can get Snowcat, Repugnus and Overbite down here. It's been awhile since we've had a full game. Maybe I'll get back some of that money I owe you."
Jackpot grinned. "That would require me losing. Good luck on that!"
---
As most of the crew gathered in the Galley, Cannonball stayed on deck, alone. He fiddled with the wheel for a few moments, then reached down and opened a secret drawer only he knew about. Inside was a big thick bottle of some vintage Energon from Cybertron itself. He only pulled it out on very special occasions, and he felt like today was one of them.
"To Hooligan." He said quietly. "The greatest Pirate that ever lived." He took a long drink from the bottle. Then, for good measure, he took another three. Twenty clicks later, he was sitting on the ground, leaning against the wheel, and staring at the captain's empty chair listlessly.
"You never had the proper respect, Captain..." He muttered, addressing the chair. "You never really understood what it was really about. You claim to be his successor but he never taught you. You never gave him a chance. You shoulda paid more attention, captain..."
He was cut off by a expulsion of gases from his interior, and he leaned back and sighed. "Ah, but to go back to the good old days... I remember when we ruled the quadrant. Hooligan was the greatest Pirate there ever was. Too bad..."
"Too bad he had... t' go... and kill himself... like that..."
Cannonball sighed, and let his optics darken. Then they shot open again, and he stared, blinked, and then rubbed his optics. He looked at the bottle in his hand in disgust, and shoved it back into the drawer. "Now I'm seeing things." He grumbled, trying to rid himself of the image of Hooligan sitting there, fiery red eyes glaring down on him.
He glanced at the chair again, just to make sure. Empty. Good. He stood up, and got back on the wheel, and frowned. Their course had changed ever-so-slightly, so they were now heading deeper into space. "Must have leaned on the wheel." He muttered, correcting it. "Probably shouldn't drink so much." He glanced outside the main window, and then cried out in horror.
---
The entire crew, save Slugslinger, locked in his cabin, Wheeljack, in the middle of his nap, two of the minicons, and the Quintesson Arc , too busy in the engine room to socialize, had gathered in the Galley and were well into their game. Jackpot, as always, was winning straight up, though Snowcat, electrified by Thunderblasts attention, was doing pretty well. Everyone else was going solidly into debt.
Repugnus threw his cards down in the table with a string of exotic curses, and slumped back. Mirage sighed, and turned her cards in, as did Sharkticon, Snowcat, the Minicons Oceanglide and Waterlog, who were sharing a hand, and Overbite. Shortround cheerfully kept betting until Jackpot put his cards down, and then the deckhand cheerfully handed over his losses.
"One of these days, your luck'll run out." Repugnus swore at Jackpot, the same thing he swore every game they played.
"Eventually, I'm sure." Jackpot answered, scooping up his winnings.
"Deal again." Mirage said pleasantly. "I've still got plenty of credits to win back."
It was then that Cannonball burst through the galley doors, panting and gasping, babbling incoherent words. Mirage and Overbite ran over to him, Mirage hoisting up the helmsman arms over his shoulder, and escorting him to a nearby seat.
"What's with him? Repugnus snarled.
Mirage ignored him. "Cannonball." She said firmly, taking hold of her old friend's arm. "Cannonball, talk to me."
"Here..." The old spacer wheezed. "Here... I saw him... Eyes red... Reached for me... He wants my spark Captain... he wants my spark!"
"Get a hold of yourself." Mirage commanded firmly, grabbing his shoulders and holding him steady. "Now, tell me what happened."
"Outside the ship." Cannonball gasped, his voice cracking. "I saw Hooligan. I saw him outside the ship. He- it was horrible... he reached for me... he wants my spark! He wants me to join him in the Inferno!"
"You've been drinking." Mirage said gently.
Cannonball nodded, though the movement seemed to bring pain.
"Come on, old friend. All you saw were tricks, played on you by your mind. I'll prove it to you." Mirage looked up, at the rest of the crew. "Sharkticon, Repugnus, Overbite, anyone want to come?"
No one did.
---
To Cannonball's credit, he had seen a body, though the rest of the account seemed somewhat hyperbolized. Mirage frowned at the ornament that now graced the outside of the Sword of the Fallen. The body was shattered, torn apart, and unrecognizable. Floating in the depths of space, it had collided against the bridge, and lodged there. It could have been Hooligan once, Mirage supposed, or it could have been any seeker from the Decepticons empire. There was no telling.
"It is Hooligan." Cannonball said sullenly.
"His eyes aren't red, he isn't reaching, and I doubt he wants your spark." Mirage said calmly. She reached over and tilted the wheel - the body slid right off and floated past the ship into the distance.
"See?" Mirage said gently. "It's gone."
Cannonball glared at the Captain. "You don't need to talk to me like a child. I know what I saw."
"I'm sure you do." Mirage said cheerfully. "Now go get some rest."
"Aye, Captain." Cannonball said bitterly, and marched off, still grumbling, "I know what I saw."
Mirage watched him go and shook her head, heading back down to the Galley. "What was it?" Shortround inquired nervously.
Deciding to spare the younger bot, the Captain omitted a few details. "Just some debris. Cannonball was just seeing things. Pay it no mind. Now, unless I'm mistaken, we were in the middle of a game, yes?"
Only two rounds later, they were interrupted again.
---
Up in the Captain's Quarters, Doomlock, the Mirage's faithful pet, slept fitfully. The robotic beast awoke suddenly, snarling. His optics roved the room, but saw nothing that was alerting his heightened senses so. Confused, he let out a long mournful howl. When that got no response, he did it again, louder and longer this time. A few moments later, Mirage entered the room to calm him. As soon as the door was opened, Doomlock rushed out, nearly toppling the surprised Captain.
Mirage swore, stumbling to her feet. Sharkticon, who had accompanied her this time, looked after the beast curiously. "This isn't like him." He growled.
"No, it isn't." Mirage answered, grabbing her prized sword and following the beast. Doomlock ran down to the cabin areas, sniffing at each separate door, before pausing in front of one, and stood there, hunched forward and growling. Without bothering to check and see whose cabin it was, Mirage kicked in the door and marched in.
They found Cannonball lying on the ground, mouth open in a wordless scream, face frozen in fear.
Mirage ran to her friend, and knelt down, examining him closely. "He's still online." She announced. "But barely. His spark's beating slowly... I've never seen anything like this before."
"We better get him to the galley." Sharkticon growled. "What do you think's going on Captain? An intruder aboard the ship?"
Mirage dimmed her optics. "Perhaps..." She said softly, her voice briefly betraying its natural state.
---
Stormcloud finally pinned down Windsheer in the hallway. Ever the romantic, the member of the Space Pirate Minicon team (officially allied with Mirage's crew, though unofficially independent) had fallen for Wheeljack's small friend the instant he had laid optics upon her. Sadly, Windsheer seemed disinclined to acknowledge his mere existence, seeing as Stormcloud was, under the universal definition of the word, a jerk.
"Hi." He said, in a voice that sounded slimy.
Windsheer glared at him. "Out of the way. I'm going to our room."
"Now, why you got to be like that?" Stormcloud said, faking sorrow. "I just want to get to know you better."
Windsheer simply ignored him, brushing past him.
"Wait!" Stormcloud pleaded, genuine emotion seeping into his voice for the first time. "I just want to talk. Do you have any idea how lonely I am."
Windsheer whirled on him. "Listen, I don't like you, or your two friends, so if you'd just leave me alone, we could both get along with our lives, get it?"
Stormcloud was ignoring her, mouth agape as he stared past her. WIndsheer frowned. "What are you..." She turned, looked, and screamed.
---
Wheeljack had almost gone into stasis when his door swooshed open and two very frightened Minicons burst into his room. He sat up in bewilderment as Stormcloud shot under the bunk and hid, while Windsheer flew into the safety of his arms, sobbing incoherently.
"It's ok, you're with me." Wheeljack said reassuringly, holding her close. "What's wrong?"
"Out there..." Windsheer whispered, shaking. "I saw... I saw..."
Their cabins door whooshed open again, and he leapt to his feet, gaping in horror. A wraith filled the doorway, dark arms reaching toward Wheeljack and the Minicons. Wheeljack yelled, grabbing one of his energy batons and throwing it straight at the shadowy head. His weapon passed right through, and clattered on the wall behind it. The form advanced, red eyes glowing evilly. Wheeljack yelled again, grabbing WIndsheer and yanking Stormcloud out from under the bunk, and barreled past the form. A hand grazed one of his arms, and he felt it go limp. He pushed the two small bodies out of the room, and hollered at them to run, which they did.
Wheeljack then turned, and froze in horror, holding his dead arm, and backing up as the wraith advanced on him. Words suddenly filled the air, dark words, with meaning Wheeljack couldn't understand. He gripped his head with his one good hand, trying to clear it as the shadowy arm reached closer, and then the words finally became clear.
"Perish."
Wheeljack turned to run as iciness filled his entire body.
---
The two Minicons stumbled into the galley, where everyone else was studying Cannonball's form with concern. Their cries caught Mirage's attention, but the two Minicons were too terrified to say anything. It wasn't until Wheeljack arrived that the story became clear.
He stumbled in and collapsed, groaning. One arm was hanging limply, and his limbs seemed unable to support him. His head lulled to one side, like he didn't even have the strength to hold it up. Mirage laid him against the wall, gently. Windsheer ran up to him and held to him tight. Wheeljack's sole functioning arm surrounded her, holding her close for a moment, before he began to speak.
"A wraith... a ghost, something. It grabbed me Captain... hurts... I think.. it was reaching... for my spark..." Wheeljack looked up weakly at the Captain. "I'm not seeing things Captain. There's something here."
Mirage brow creased, and she looked at the rest of the crew. Even hardened Repugnus was rigid, trying to hide his terror. Jackpot was pacing nervously, Overbite was shaking his head, Snowcat and Thunderblast held close to each other. Doomlock was in a corner, growling at nothing, and Shortround was curled up, head in his hands. Only Sharkticon, cynical and steadfast as ever, remained unmoved.
"Everyone's going mad." The first mate muttered. "You're all a bunch of superstitious-"
His voice trailed off, and he stared at the open doorway. Fearfully, everyone followed his gaze. The wraith stood in their midst.
He was not entirely translucent, and still flecks of orange paint could be seen on the mangled form. Battered wings arched toward the ceiling, and a gaping wound in the chest revealed an empty spark chamber. But what drew everyone's attention were the eyes, cold and dark, on a face masked with shadows. It was a face that Mirage remembered well.
The wraith floated - not stood, but hovered in the air for a long moment, before a commanding voice boomed out from it. "Leave!" The wraith cried. "You are on a vessel that belongs to the damned! If you value your lives, flee!"
Mirage grabbed her sword and faced the wraith, moving into an attack stance. "I won't abandon my ship."
The wraith laughed - a cold, hollow and bitter laugh. "Your ship? This ship... is MINE!"
Mirage charged the wraith, swinging his sword wildly - but the sword sliced through emptiness. Mirage stumbled against the door and turned, looking for his opponent. But the ghost had vanished.
"Captain?" Snowcat said weakly. "What-"
"We're staying here." Mirage snapped. "No ethereal specter is going to take my ship from me, I don't care who he was in life. "
"I ain't fighting nothing that ain't living." Repugnus snarled, backing himself into a corner, optics wide. A murmur of agreement ran through the room.
"He didn't attack us." Sharkticon said, his composure only betrayed by a cracking in his voice. "We might be safer together."
"Possibly." Mirage said. "We're all here, he can't-" Her voice trailed off. "Wait. Arc..."
"He's in the engine room." Sharkticon growled. "With our life support, our engines, and everything else. If our 'ghost' gets a hold of that-"
The lights flickered, then went out.
---
Sharkticon and Mirage made their way down the darkened halls of the Sword of the Fallen. As Mirage had rushed out the door, only her first mate dared follow.
Never had the familiar halls seemed so long, so terrifying. Passing every door was excruciating, for the fear that some specter would leap out and attack. But none did.
Despite the horror of the walk, they reached the engine room without incidence. Arc was waiting - or rather, what was left of him was.
The Quintesson was hanging from the ceiling by one of his tentacles, the rest wrapped tightly around the first in the shape of a noose. His eyes were dark, his body swinging gently from the rafters.
"Get him down." Mirage ordered, glancing worriedly throughout the room. "Is he alive?"
"I can't tell." Sharkticon snarled, yanking the Quintesson down from the ceiling. Arc hit the floor with a thump, and remained motionless. "Damn."
Mirage looked mournfully down at the Quintesson. "I think our ghost is serious."
Sharkticon shook his head. "It's not a ghost. It can't be. There's no such thing-" He never got a chance to finish his sentence. A hand reached out and grabbed him from behind. Before Mirage could even cry out, Sharkticon was thrown against the wall, the ethereal wraith's hand sinking deep into his spark. Sharkticon let out a cry that was cut off suddenly, and he slumped to the floor.
The wraith floated back, and turned toward Mirage, cackling. Mirage backed up, cursing, sword drawn in the prayers that it would do some damage against the damned.
"I told you to leave." The wraith snarled, its body beginning to coalesce and take a more solidified shape. "This ship is mine! Only the damned shall crew it!"
As the wraith became more and more corporeal, Mirage became aware of faint cries and screams. She looked around, and suddenly became intently aware of other shapes, other forms, moving throughout the ship. Some she recognized, others she had never seen, but all filled her with terror.
"This ship is mine!" The wraith howled again, its body finally solidifying into the Captain Mirage had once served under. Hooligan, as he appeared in his prime, walked - no longer hovering, but with heavy, deliberate footfalls - toward Mirage, a sword of darkness appearing in his hand.
"You dare usurp my ship." Hooligan hissed. "You dare take it as your own. This ship is MINE!" The sword of Darkness swung.
Mirage parried, surprised that her sword was able to stop the impact.
Hooligan paused, staring at her. "You dare cross swords with the damned?" He asked, then chuckled. "You have courage. But that does not disguise the truth!" Hooligan swung again, and Mirage blocked. But Hooligan was stronger - much stronger than she had ever been. Mirage was pushed backwards. Hooligan swung again and again, and Mirage struggled to block every blow, until one finally caused her to stumble, throwing her upon her back.
Hooligan's ethereal sword swung down, and Mirage rolled, the sword carving a deep gash into her shoulder. Unnatural, unholy pain spread like fire through her body, and her voice modulation failed as she cried out. She staggered back to her feet, barely turning to block as the dark sword swung again and again.
"You're weak, Mirage." Hooligan snarled. "You always were. Hiding yourself to disguise your weakness, the way of a coward!"
Mirage attempted to block the blows, and was again thrown backwards.
"I always knew you were weak." Hooligan howled again. "Ever since I first saw you, I knew what you really were. I thought once that perhaps you could escape what you were, become something more. But I was wrong!"
The blows forced Mirage to her knees, and then her sword flew from her hands as Hooligan struck hard. She fell forward, gasping as her internal systems began to overheat from exertion.
"It's too bad. I had hopes for you." Hooligan snarled.
Mirage's vision was blurred. She glanced to her side and saw Sharkticon lying there, optics dark, expression blank. She thought briefly of Arc and Wheeljack and Cannonball and the rest of her crew, waiting in the galley for her return. Her optics closed for a moment, and then she forced himself to her feet.
"You're getting up." Hooligan said flatly, watching her.
"This ship was yours once." Mirage said, forcing her voice out. "But now... it's mine. And I will not give it up!"
She charged the ghost, throwing herself shoulder first into it. Wraith and bot flew backwards, slamming into one of the main engine turbines. Hooligan's ghostly hands reached up, wrapping around her throat and he slammed her against the wall.
"Will you condemn you and your crew to death?" Hooligan hissed. "Hear their screams!"
Suddenly wails of pain and terror filled the room. Mirage's audials almost overloaded as she picked out from among the cries each and every one of her crew-members. Repugnus with a throaty yell, Shortround with innumerable sobs, Snowcat with a cry of pain, Overbite with a grunt, Doomlock with a whimper, Jackpot with a strangled scream... all of them.
Mirage's optics went black and she began to shudder. "No!" She cried, her voice pitiful. "Please..."
"You condemned them to damnation." Hooligan hissed. "Why did you continue with your foolish pride?"
Mirage looked up wearily. "Because it's what you would have done." She croaked.
That gave Hooligan pause. The screams ceased, and Hooligan stared at her wordlessly for a long moment. "Then you learned nothing." Hooligan said quietly.
The ghost released its hold on Mirage and she collapsed forward, staring up at the ghost, who was suddenly looking older, more weary. "I give you a chance, Mirage." He said softly, kneeling down. "Leave this ship."
"No." Mirage answered, as firmly as she could manage. "I won't tear down everything I've worked for. This ship isn't an object, it's an ideal. It represents the freedom and independence I've worked so hard for. To leave this ship would be like leaving a part of myself behind."
Hooligan sighed, looking older and more weary by the second. "You are my true successor. You are just like I am. I ask yourself this Captain, and be sure you answer wisely. If you do not leave now, you will be on this ship until your death. Your fate and its will be intertwined for all eternity. This ship is cursed. Are you prepared to live with that burden?"
Mirage stared her former captain straight into the cold, dead optics. "I am."
"And your crew?"
Mirage faltered, visions of all of them dancing through her mind. Suddenly the screams seemed to return, and she shook her head violently. "No. I couldn't..."
A faint smile crossed Hooligan's face. "You truly are my successor. I thought as you once. I left them behind, trying to save them. But they came back to me. Would you turn them away, knowing what you do now?"
Mirage stared at Hooligan through bleary optics. "I... I don't.... I don't know..."
"Now you begin to see." Hooligan said softly.
"What do you want me to do?" Mirage asked wearily.
"That, Captain, is up to you. There will come a time when you will need to make the ultimate sacrifice. Make sure they know before then. Their choice is in no hands but their own, but it's left to you to offer them that choice."
"I don't understand..." Mirage said, her voice dull and broken.
"In time, you will." Hooligan said calmly. "In time..."
White light flooded the chamber, drowning out the darkness.
---
"Captain?"
Mirage shook her head, trying to clear it. Her mind felt fuzzy, and she felt exhausted. She barely remembered to make sure her voice modulator was on before she spoke. "Yes, Cannonball?"
"I was saying, Captain," Cannonball continued, his voice fearful. "That this is the place. Where he disappeared."
Mirage started to ask who, but then a faint memory flickered through her mind. "Hooligan..." She said thoughtfully.
Sharkticon snorted. "You and your idiot superstitions. Hooligan, indeed."
"Now now Sharkticon." Mirage interrupted. "Cannonball's right. We should pay our respects to the dead, then move on."
"Wait!" Sharkticon objected. "But Inferno and Thrust-"
"We'll deal with them in time." Mirage smiled. "Let's pay our respects and move out. Tell Arc to fire up the engines, and get Wheeljack up here to chart a new course.
"Aye, Captain." Sharkticon grumbled as he turned to leave.
"He doesn't understand." Cannonball said quietly. "There's no peaceful rest for the damned."
"I'm sure you're right, Cannonball." Mirage said quietly, a faint, almost dreamlike memory tugging at the back of his mind. "But Hooligan was a great bot. We'll make sure to honor his memory."
"Aye, Captain." Cannonball said, a smile on his face. "Aye."
As the Sword of the Fallen turned to leave, Mirage briefly thought he saw some figure-shaped debris move past them. For reasons he didn't fully understand, he turned and saluted them.
And as the Sword jumped into hyperspace, the debris watched. "You'll understand in time." It said. "In time."
-----