As I said in the last chapter, the Transformers in this are a mash-up of G1 and movieverse. I'm going movieverse in the style of their bodies and in that I'm trying to avoid mass-shifting (meaning sorry, Megatron's not a gun) and G1-style in coloration, personalities, and general motivations.
For Stargate, it's set sometime after Deadman Switch, the episode with the bounty hunter, and before Forever in a Day. Definite AU.
One last thing: I don't own either Transformers or Stargate. Dr. Petras, though, is my original character.
"Honey, I'm home," Jack called, strolling down the Gate ramp. Behind him, the wormhole whooshed shut, and the alarms shut off their strident blare. Their latest mission had gone well, reports of Jaffa harrying a village turning out to be nothing more than bandits with some good costumes. The bandits quickly surrendered as soon as they found themselves up against a true fighting force.
"Honey? Viscous fluid created from the nectar of flowers?" Teal'c raised an eyebrow.
Jack grinned. "You need to stop reading the dictionary for fun, big guy. It's just a saying."
The banter died, however, as soon as they saw the expression on General Hammond's face. "You'd better get something to eat while you can," he suggested. "You've got another mission waiting. You'll be briefed while you eat."
They did as they were told, the anticipation and apprehension felt before every assignment making itself known. They each got a light meal, not wanting to eat heavily but needing something to keep them going before they were sent out again. When they reached the conference room and heard the story of what had happened, though, Jack was incredulous.
"Giant robots? Are you sure one of those weeds they were picking wasn't narcotic?" he asked. Not that he disbelieved the word of the scientists, but he found the tale hard to swallow. "Sure they weren't watching old sci-fi movies or something?"
"Jack," Daniel cut in. "You live a sci-fi movie. Space travel? Aliens? How are giant robots that much of a stretch?"
"There was nothing to indicate the existence of such beings when we arrived on the planet," Teal'c said calmly. "If they truly fell from the sky, perhaps there are ships in orbit."
Jack leaned back in his chair, and muttered, "Figures they'd be hostiles."
"Major Carter, you look like you have something to say," Hammond noted.
She frowned, thinking. "Sir, we're not sure they're hostile towards us. From what Doctor Kelman said, the fighting didn't start until the second one showed up. Did the first one make any threatening moves?"
He nodded. "That's a good point. No, it didn't do anything that we would interpret as hostile, but we don't know what it said. It could have been anything from 'I come in peace' to 'You're all my hostages'. What we need right now is first and foremost to recover Doctor Petras, and to determine if these things are a threat to Earth. The last thing we want right now is another alien race gunning for us."
"So." Jack said. "Do we know anything about their technology? Besides 'laser guns'?"
Hammond glanced down at his papers thoughtfully. "From the descriptions we got, they don't seem to resemble either Goa'uld or Earth tech, and while what they used sounds similar to Goa'uld energy weapons, we can't verify that. Teal'c? Do the Goa'uld know anything about these robots?"
"They are not familiar to me, General Hammond. But I do not know the area around that planet," the Jaffa responded. He was unperturbed, as usual. It took a lot more than the threat of giant alien robots to upset him.
Jack grimaced. "That's a no, then. Well, we could probably try grenades, maybe EMPs, but I'm betting something that big isn't going to be bothered much by regular bullets."
"The grenades you can have, but if you want EMP weapons you'll have to wait while we put something together."
"I could do that," Sam volunteered, but Jack shook his head.
"We'll take the grenades and our guns, but we don't have time to sit around. The faster we move, the more likely we'll be to find her. Anything else we need to know?"
Hammond shook his head. "We couldn't get anything else out of the scientists. They were terrified, not exactly taking notes. It's up to you, you're the best."
"Thanks, sir. Everyone ready? Let's move," Jack ordered.
After gearing up and mentally prepping themselves for the mission to come, SG-1 did a last-minute check of their equipment as they moved towards the Gateroom. The familiar whir-and-whoosh of the chevrons engaging was easily audible before blue light flared, and the wormhole stabilized. "Good luck," Hammond wished them, just before they stepped through to the soil of another planet.
Immediately moving for cover, Jack's watchful eyes noted the differences in the landscape since the last time SG-1 had been here. Over there, in the middle of the wide meadow, what used to be a copse of trees was now a scorched ditch leading into burned, shattered stumps and branches. Nearby, the trampled remains of large tents, broken tables, and scattered pieces of what used to be computers and other equipment. On the other side of the field, churned-up dirt, more burned patches, and the large, mangled body of a robot. Light, shiny blue paint was still visible on some parts, though it was scraped and charred in places. No wings…, he thought. It must have been the first one the doctors reported seeing. Unless there were more, the possibility of which he unfortunately couldn't rule out.
"All right, listen up," he started, speaking quietly. "We'll circle around the area, try to stick to the trees. Stay close together, and remember they could be capable of flight." They began a slow sweep of the meadow's perimeter.
They were about halfway around the edge of the grassy field, making sure to stay well-hidden under the trees, when Jack held up his hand and dropped to a sudden crouch behind a sheltering trunk. The rest of the team followed his example. A whisper of leaves, and Teal'c moved up closer to Jack, eerily quiet for someone his size. He held his staff weapon close.
Daniel peered around the trunk he was sheltering behind, and stifled a gasp. Through the trees and bushes, he could see a large, metal being pacing the length of a clearing. It wasn't exactly hard to spot, given that its body was mostly light gray, with details in blue and bright red. As it walked, every now and again it would stop and look towards the sky, as if waiting for someone, and the wings on its back twitched tensely. Occasionally it would glance around, as well. He shifted, nervous, and froze as a stick snapped underfoot.
Glowing red eyes stared straight at their leafy hiding spot.
Stared, then narrowed, and then it spoke.
"I can see you," it proclaimed in a high, slightly grating voice. "It would be better to come out now, before I decide to shoot." As if to make sure it was understood, it brandished a large weapon attached to its right arm.
Damn. Jack stood and moved into view slowly, hands empty and open. Sam, Daniel, and Teal'c followed, cautiously.
"You are spies?" it spat menacingly. The weapon on its arm looked to be the same length as Teal'c's body.
"No," Jack cautiously answered. "We're just here to find our friend. You might have seen her, she got left behind, when the others were running from the fighting. People on our planet are worried."
The large alien suddenly seemed more interested in them, though he tried to hide it. "Your planet… is it like this one?"
Jack blinked at the unexpected question, and Daniel jumped in. "In some places, yes. Although the actual kinds of plants and animals are different, here, and we humans are the dominant species on Earth."
"Danny." The unspoken command cut him off. Talk shop later. When we find out what it wants.
The metal being seemed to be considering something. Its eyes flickered dimly for a moment before it said "I'm afraid your friend has been taken captive, by my faction's enemies. I eliminated one, but another managed to capture her and escape." It shifted in place with a sound of whirring gears.
"Do you know where?" Call him cynical, but he wasn't about to trust this thing for a heartbeat. Still, better to be polite until he figured out its capabilities and intentions. And they certainly didn't need to be caught in an alien race's civil war. Again.
It gazed steadily at Jack for a moment. "You do not seem like the kind of foul beings that would ally themselves with my enemies. I will help you."
"Great! Who are you, by the way?"
The alien lifted his chin and thrust his chest forward proudly. "I am Starscream, Air Commander and second-in-command of the mighty Decepticon forces!" His bluster would have been comedic were he not huge, dangerous, and in possession of information they needed. He settled a bit and said, "Your friend… I believe the one who took her fled to the east of here, out of my scanner range. I've been waiting for backup, but it may be a while more before my comrades arrive."
"Thanks," Jack replied. "We'll, uh. We'll go look."
"I could not let you do that." Starscream's eyes narrowed, glancing disdainfully over their P-90s and Teal'c's staff. "Your weapons would do little against them."
The colonel was definitely not inclined to take such an order easily. "Then we'll go back to our planet and get better weapons."
"I could not let you do that, either."
"Why not?" he tried not to snap. Diplomacy wasn't Jack's strong suit, but if he relinquished control of the situation, Daniel would talk the robot's ears- or whatever it used- off.
"That device gives off high amounts of energy. My enemies might read it as an aggressive action, and attack."
Jack nodded his understanding, but wasn't quite ready to give up. "Can I talk with my group for a moment? Privately?" he asked, trying not to let his annoyance show.
"Of course." Starscream was instantly amenable, moving to the far side of the clearing and turning his back, making a show of ignoring them.
They formed into a loose huddle. "This doesn't look too good, Colonel," Sam said quietly. "I can't figure out his motivations. Everything he says makes sense, of course, but I can't tell if he's honestly concerned for our safety or if he doesn't want us running into the other group for a different reason."
"He's an alien robot," Daniel argued. "We don't know everything. How can we judge his intentions when we don't even know if he has the same emotions as us?"
Teal'c spoke up. "As you say, Daniel Jackson, we cannot judge his intentions. However, I believe the phrase to use here would be 'I have a bad feeling'."
"I'm with you, big guy." Jack nodded. "Something about this just doesn't sit right with me."
"Okay then, how about we try asking? You never know until you ask."
Jack snapped his fingers and pointed at Daniel. "All right. You do that. And while you're at it, see if you can at least talk him into letting us send a report back through the 'Gate."
"Fine." Daniel walked across the clearing towards Starscream. The others continued their discussion, but kept an ear on the other conversation.
"Um. Excuse me?" Daniel called up to the giant being.
Starscream shifted, and burning red eyes flicked in his direction. "Yes?"
"I just wanted to ask some questions. We're explorers, you see, a first-contact group. We're very interested in other cultures and races…"
"Yourself in particular, I take it." Daniel though he saw a hint of a smile on the large being's face.
"Well. Yeah," he admitted. "I was wondering… you said the other group were enemies of your faction, the…?"
He nodded. "The Decepticons," he explained. "Our enemies, the Autobots, wronged us long ago. We have fought long and hard against them, but in recent times our planet's energy sources have grown sparse. Both our factions now search for a new world, one that we may perhaps colonize, to draw energy from. We had thought this planet perfect, when our ship's scanners found it, so I was sent ahead as a scout. When I landed, I discovered your people, but then discovered that the Autobots followed us here. They attacked, and I'm sure you know the rest." He shot one more irritated look towards the sky. "Rest assured, my comrades will drive the Autobot scum from this planet."
Daniel furrowed his eyebrows, thinking back to the briefing. "Our scientists told us that one of the Autobots approached first, and you attacked it."
"In defense of your people," Starscream said eagerly. "I could not wait to see what he had planned for them, when they were obviously unarmed and unprepared."
"I see… Thank you," Daniel said.
"You have not yet introduced yourselves, either. Is it not polite to exchange names?"
"Of course! I didn't mean to be rude… I'm Doctor Daniel Jackson, that's Colonel Jack O'Neill, Major Carter, and Teal'c. And... I don't mean to switch subjects this fast, but I wanted to ask a couple more things. How did you learn our language? They said the other one couldn't speak it."
"Though they are primitive in comparison to ours, I was able to link to one of your computers. From that, it was simple enough. Unfortunately, when your transport device activated, it startled me and I dropped the computer." He gestured towards the fragmented remains of it, where it had landed and broken half-hidden behind a large bush. "I have taken the liberty of translating titles and names, as closely as possible, into your language as well."
"I had figured," Daniel agreed. "And are you sure we can't return to report to our superiors? If we don't, they're prepared to assume the worst. The last thing I want is to accidentally start a war."
This did not seem to make Starscream happy. The red glow of his eyes flickered a few times, before it grudgingly announced, "Very well. But I can't swear to what the Autobots will do in response. I may not be here when you return."
"We'll try to make it as quick as possible," Daniel promised.
Starscream took a few steps in the direction of the clearing that held the Gate. "I'll escort you."
On the trip back, Jack couldn't help noticing that although originally the forest they'd traveled through to find Starscream had been mostly undamaged, the giant robot now snapped branches and trees out of his way. He also noticed that despite making sure no debris landed on the humans, Starscream wasn't very careful where it dropped, simply tossing it to one side. On one hand, there was now a clearer path, but on the other hand the trail would now be easily visible to whoever came by.
They reached the Gate shortly, not having bothered with the circuitous route they originally followed. "Carter," Jack nodded at the DHD. At his order, she went over to the device, dialing Earth's coordinates with practiced smoothness. Starscream kept a close eye on them, seemingly analyzing every move they made, and studied the wormhole's event horizon intently until they passed through.
They were greeted by blaring klaxons and a very worried General Hammond. "What's going on? Did you find Doctor Petras already?"
"Not quite, sir," Jack answered.
"Something went wrong, then?" the general questioned.
"Not… quite, sir." Jack sighed. "One of them spotted us, the one with wings from the scientists' report. We only came back to get everyone up to speed on the situation, it might end up being a bit sticky."
"Give us everything you can. The more we know, the more prepared we'll be."
Jack related their encounter with Starscream, including his misgivings and Daniel's optimism. "And I don't like it, and I don't trust it, but we're going to have to work with it for now, if we want to get our girl back."
"I see." General Hammond thought things over for a few minutes, then suggested, "Why don't you all arm up with zats? They may be small, but energy weapons may have a greater effect on these things than simple bullets."
They each took one of the small weapons, but opted to keep the P-90s as well. Any advantage they had might be needed. Once Hammond had been filled in, they made ready to go back to P9X-832, with orders to keep a weather eye on their purported ally. Daniel was assigned the task of getting as much information out of Starscream as he could, preferably without giving away too much in return. Carter was to study their physiology, if she could, and learn what, so to speak, made them tick. After a short while, they were ready to return and resume their mission.
When they returned, nothing in the meadow had changed. A deer-like animal stared wide-eyed at them, frozen, before bounding away back into the forest on the relatively undamaged side. The only notable difference from before was that Starscream was gone.
It wasn't long before he returned.
Unknown to them, though, was what had occurred after they had returned to Earth.
Once they had left, Starscream dropped his helpful pose. "Feh. Trying to think and act like an Autobot makes my processor hurt," he muttered sourly. He then opened communications, signaling the one mech above him, Megatron. He had been sending short messages throughout his contact with the humans, an exciting and potentially gainful turn of events.
"You can come in now, they're gone."
"And why are they gone?" was his leader's disgruntled reply. "I seem to remember giving specific orders for you to keep them here until we knew what they were and why they were here."
"You underestimate me yet again. I have that information already," Starscream retorted. "Come to my location and I'll give a full report."
Megatron had arrived swiftly to find Starscream waiting by the currently inactive Stargate. "Well? What do you know?"
Starscream gestured grandly at the standing ring. "This-" he got out, before the speech he had planned was interrupted.
"Did you call me out here just for this, Starscream?" Megatron growled. "We knew this is what they used to escape."
"Yes, but now I know how," the winged mech responded smugly.
A measuring look was sent his way. "Explain."
"They pushed a series of buttons on this device. Then, from what I could gather, a stable wormhole formed with that ring as its anchor. I memorized the buttons, of course." Starscream said, smirking.
Excitement flared in the Decepticon leader's optics. "Open it, then, I will go through and conquer their world myself!"
His smirk grew. "Gladly, oh mighty Megatron. Your victory is assured, no doubt." He moved towards the DHD.
Megatron stopped short at the anticipation in the Air Commander's tone. "There is something else you have not told me. For that, you will have the honor of being first through the wormhole."
Starscream paused, his smirk faltered. "They had… another device. Handheld, to their proportions. It was likely a comm link of some sort. Their end of the wormhole would be well-guarded, so it is probable that the comm is meant to transmit their identity, marking them as allies."
Megatron thought for a moment. "And we do not yet know what sort of weapons they are capable of using. Even if those puny things they call guns are all we've seen, it doesn't follow that those are all they have. We will need more information before attempting an invasion." A dark smile grew on his face. "You say they will return? Collect more information. Speak with them, learn everything you can. Get an invitation to their world, if possible."
"And then?" Starscream asked.
"You're an expert at betrayal, aren't you? You get close, then betray them. Do I need to spell it out for you!?" Megatron snapped.
"I live to serve, Lord Megatron," Starscream sarcastically announced.
Both mechs suddenly paused and turned to the east. Their scanners had picked up a new signal, one belonging to an Autobot, coming in swiftly from the east. As soon as they noticed it, though, it altered course, presumably having sensed them in return.
"After it!" Megatron roared, "Bring it back for interrogation!" Starscream leaped eagerly into the sky, his metal body shifting itself smoothly into an alien aircraft.
He blasted through the air, his powerful engines carrying him across the intervening miles in seconds, and he shortly arrived in the area his sensors indicated. But although he watched carefully, there was no sign in the forest below of his quarry. He passed the area his scanners insisted hid an Autobot three times without visual contact.
An idea hit. A hologram. The scum's hiding himself with a hologram!
On his next pass, he took aim with his null ray at an inconspicuous cluster of trees, and fired two carefully-placed shots.
Cursing himself, he realized that he'd missed, hitting an actual tree. He'd come close enough, however, that the discharge from his rays knocked the hologram generator offline, revealing a crouching Autobot.
With the generator in his chest no longer functioning, the green Autobot began to fight back. He was a good enough shot that Starscream was forced to fly out of range for a moment. When he circled back, the Autobot had again taken cover among the trees, his dark green paint working as camouflage and making targeting difficult.
The Autobot was placing his shots in a clever pattern, trying to drive Starscream in a different direction, working to clear a path to the east. Trying to escape back to his teammates, wherever they were hiding. Starscream refused to be tricked into following his quarry's plans, instead carefully herding him back towards the Stargate.
The battle was difficult, and with Starscream's attention totally focused on it, when they reached the meadow he failed to notice that the humans had returned. He circled around once more, firing rapidly enough to push the green mech out from his cover under the trees and into the open meadow. On his next pass, he aligned his trajectory and transformed in midair, momentum slamming him down into the Autobot's body. The flying tackle sent them both skidding across the ground, but while Starscream was back on his feet in moments, his opponent was stunned, groaning and moving weakly.
He stalked over and took aim at his enemy's chest, one point-blank shot would extinguish the Autobot's spark.
"Hey!"
The shout startled him, and he twisted around to aim at its source. The humans glared back, three of the four with their own pitiful weapons at the ready. The fourth was the one who had shouted, the one called Daniel.
"You can't just shoot him while he's laying there helpless!" the human continued.
"He is my enemy," Starscream hissed. "He was planning an ambush, and it was only luck I caught him before he killed all of you. Why should I not kill him now?"
"Why don't you just take him prisoner or something? He might know where Doctor Petras is." The human was being logical, and even if the Autobot refused to give up information Starscream could always torture him. A little torture was good stress relief.
Still, he didn't like taking orders from anyone, and was very tempted to shoot the Autobot simply to be contrary.
And then, of course, there was the danger that the humans would want to speak with him. The Autobot would, of course, cheerfully tell them everything they wanted to know. And if they believed him over Starscream… there could be trouble. Starscream didn't want to kill the humans until he learned the location of their planet at the very least. Megatron, as well, would want information on the Autobot forces and location.
He wasn't sure which way to turn, and the longer he stalled, the more suspicious the humans would be.
Er. The Autobot is Hound, by the way. Also, eventually I'll be able to come up with a less generic title than 'Stars and Sparks'.
Does anyone know if I can crosspost this to the Transformers section without setting it up as a whole separate story?
And lastly, thanks for reading! - Illogically