AN: It's a total mix-verse AU. It will have all kinds of characters from all kinds of verses. It will eventualy (MUCH LATER) deal with pnp xeno. For now it's a story about bunch of kids.
It is a response to a tfanonkink prompt. Although it deals with kids it will not have any descriptions of ANY type of Underage intimacy, so no xeno too.(But it will contain pnp robot slash!) The prompt had grown a backstory and plot on me that's why I'm dealing with kidies right now. Also unbetaed as for now. If it will have something to warn for I will warn!
After vorns in space-transit, Starscream actually felt tired. One could rest only so much in his friend's cargo hold, but constant emptiness induced glitches in mecha; and this part of space lacked in everything that would prove a distraction from constant blackness of star-splattered space.
He wanted, craved a planet that could offer shelter and some entertainment.
Starscream sulked; He needed a cleanser spray, full maintenance and hopefully a good refuel later. He had to get it in another orn or he would go nuts!
Skyfire's voice on the comm snapped him out of the mood he was falling into. He welcomed the distraction "Starscream, we are passing by an area that is marked on old star-charts, there is a solar system that was expected to develop organic life."
"This far from the Cybertron?" Starscream startled. "But why would ancient Seekers care to go that far away and actually mark it on their charts.." They were lost in this quadrant of space because the old Star charts gave only sketchy idea about its layout.
"Starscream, we should at least check it out, it's really not that far away from our course, and if there will be organic life, their star might even have the right radiation factor to replenish our energy reserves."
"Always the optimist" Starscream commented derisively. It was a distraction. Anything was better than nothing "but I promise you, if you as much as mention staying there for yet another extended period of time like on that planet with yellow fungi..."
"PXdelta351," Skyfire interjected.
"PX... whatever. I will make your next maintenance as long and painful as possible."
Skyfire clicked in annoyance. "Fine."
"But we can't leave it like that. It's the discovery of the last hundred, make it a thousand vorns! They are sentient and highly developed species! They found advanced ways of communicating with each other, they developed highly lethal weapons..."
"They are destroying their own kind, Starscream, and why does it not surprise me you mentioned weapons." Skyfire's tone held a hint of amusement.
"It's undeniable fact that species evolved enough to develop weapons have higher chances in survival."
"Not when they are weapons used to destroy their own kind." Skyfire argued. "Mass destruction! Not even Megatron had been blind enough to use them." Despite someone trying to develop ones - went unsaid. That topic was in the past.
"We have to stay and study them, learn what we can before we leave, before their kind goes extinct."
"We are not a first contact team, Starscream. We can't interfere..."
"We could save them. Some of their kind, settle them on that organic planet Prime is building his Autobot outpost on." Starscream whined over the comm - the only way of communicating in deep space and Skyfire regarded him curiously.
He hadn't see the white jet so excited in many vorns and about an organic species at that.
They were xenobiologists, though Skyfire suspected that Starscream was not as interested in their first field as he used to be before war. They found aliens, blended in and observed, they did not interact with aliens. They evaluated each species' sentiency. Contact was a duty of a contact team.
It often took orns before any sentient aliens were approached.
They didn't have that long with this planet's dominant species. They were small, carbon-based organics driven by power. Not survival, but power. Same thirst that destroyed Decepticons not so long ago.
The planet showed signs of being full of life once. In its entirety it was one living, organic mechanism only... now barely holding on under assault of what humans - as they called themselves - did. Scorched with explosions, tainted with heavy elements, lethal radiation killing anything organic. Some of energy sources, and Skyfire felt pang of anger in his spark, had been sucked dry. For Cybertronians, energy meant life and they would never allow for energy source to be depleated.
He estimated the overall population a billion at most and counting down with every solar cycle of the planet.
The species was dying, almost no humans being born, thought it was hard to say without further studies if it was due to infertility or outside reasons.
"We would need so many permissions that it would take us eons to go back here. And we can't interact with them."
"You are impossible! No sense of adventure whatsoever! What about your slagging Autobot policies." Starscream was sounding agitated. Probably the space-glitch acting up. For smaller jets like him one vorn in space caused processor glitches. And they had been gone for three already. Skyfire fought to keep his calm.
"As xenobiologists we are not allowed to..."
"I slagging damn well know! Let me just study and observe them. We can do a planetfall and leave after few cycles when the start parabola allows us to go back on course."
Cycles turned into planet's lunar cycles as explorer drones were sent around their hiding place, observing, taking samples, learning this new species. They called themselves human and seemed so proud of it.
With time Skyfire watched them and felt grief over such extraordinary species killing each other off.
Hadn't they, Cybertronians, stopped their own war... It could have been them going enxtinct right now. He watched helpless bands of homeless children, groups of armed adults, of adults that tried their hardest to stay alive for the sake of their own progeny.
They were flexible and adaptable. They could learn so fast when the need arose. Starscream didn't talk much to him, only whined his vocalizer in sulking anger, but Skyfire was sure he would see the red optics bright in excitement and dedication. They had been explorers, Starscream less than him but right now the large space shuttle couldn't be happier that the smaller Jet hung around him. He was in his element. Swearing when one of the drones was shot down, but still happy about gathering data.
After few cycles of their stay on Earth, a group of children, mostly orphans, came to live in the woods where they hid and decided that two, alien looking, planes were a way better place to hide than anywhere else.
Against better judgment, and anything Skyfire said, Starscream interacted with the kids via drones. At first fearfull, they came to accept strange moving machines that spoke with a weird voice.
The oldest, 12 Earth stellar cycles, called years here, was a boy named Chip. He seemed so very intelligent and mature, took care of younger children with help of 10 year old Astoria who hid with her sister Annabelle barely above meta-cycle old.
They acted as guardians for 6 other kids, some of them not being able to tell their age. Sam and Spike, called Twins, Sari who upon meeting Miko deemed her an older sister, despite no blood relation, and almost never left the older girl's side and two boys that held themselves separated. Raul and Jack. Astoria had explained that they lost their parents and watched them die.
Skyfire couldn't help but grow fond of the little humans. All hurt, all scared and almost all still so innocent-minded. They weren't supposed to intervene, but really, as he got used to the children he couldn't help but admit to himself that Starscream had been right. There could be nothing wrong in interacting with those who would eventually become dust.
The proximity alert went off without any earlier warning. The glyph on their sensors wasn't there one moment only to appear a klik later.
"We have been targeted. There is a nuclear device homed on the nearby city." Skyfire stated the obvious.
Starscream's presence on the comm perceptibly cooled and Skyfire could feel all sensors trained on him pointedly. His frame quivered in response startling off Anabelle who had been laid under his wing. She started to cry and Astoria came running quickly.
"Did something happen Mr. Starscream?" She asked gathering her young sister in her arms and calming her.
Before Skyfire could react Starscream flared his field at him in obvious disdain "There is a warhead flying our way." He stated calmly, knowing that Skyfire didn't approve of informing humans of this.
Shock and terror registered on girl's features as the news clicked in her brain.
"You can't..." Skyfire tried to protest over the comm to explain
"Would you leave them here? Would you be able to live with yourself..." Starscream responded
Skyfire watched as the girl looked between them, her eyes growing wet, her body trembling as she possibly realized what was they talking about.
"Please.. At least take Annie..." She whimpered as large drops of salty lubricant, called tears, rolled down her cheeks.
Starscream cut off the comm to Skyfire with a rude sound of contempt.
"You are all going. Gather the rest of you. We have to be gone in 20 minutes."
"What about the others, city, people living there, we have to..." Astoria enquired immediately
"Do you really think they will be able to get away in the 20 minutes out of blast range?" Starscream asked without a hint of emotion in his voice.
She shook her head still crying.
"Good, I already sent the drones to the closest of your pack, Chip is with Spike and Sam in the city, I'm going to get them."
"You can't!" Once again Skyfire protested.
"Slag you!" Starscream snarled in Cybertronian, pouring all the hate into his words. "What an Autobot are you. I am taking the whole blame when all comes to an end. Now load them up and get thee cryo chambers ready." It was the voice that Skyfire feared and despised. The voice of a Decepticon that wasn't used to having his orders questioned. It hurt, being reminded of the past in such way.
"I already have," the shuttle responded subdued and ashamed. He had reprogrammed cryo chambers cycles ago, back then convincing himself that it was natural reaction to meeting organic species. Now he knew better. He wanted Starscream to ignore the rules... he wanted to save the kids.
"Great! Astoria take Annabelle and load her up into smallest cryo chamber you can find. She will be safe."
Astoria wiped her eyes with back of her hand and sniffed nodding.
Three other children were running her way and screaming.
"Mr Starscream told us we are going for a long trip." Raul yelled.
There was girl's giggling coming from behind Skyfire...
"Miko!"
"Wow I always wanted to fly with you Mr Skyfire!"
"Load them all up Astoria. I'm going to get Chip and the twins."
With a loud clang and whirring of cogs and gears Starscream transformed into his full height, all hard angles and streamlined shapes. True Seeker.
Miko squealed in awe. "Sari's gonna shit when she sees you."
Starscream stepped over the kids and took into running-start before jumping in the air and tearing towards the city.