Starxis
By: PhantasmBabeIvory
Author's Notes: I seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties in placing asterisks to indicate when there's a break in between scenes. They keep disappearing when I go to actually post it. If anyone has any suggestions on how to fix this, I'd greatly appreciate it.
Chapter Four
If there ever was a life for him that didn't include the thrill of battle, of being anything other than a tenacious soldier, then Megatron had long since forgotten it existed. Of all the Decepticons, he was among the most ruthless and unyielding, and he lived for nothing more than to cause as much destruction as he could muster.
So why was it that he felt slightly uneasy at viewing the massive weapon that his "trusted" tactician, Thrust, had just finished assembling?
Seated in his throne aboard the newly-constructed Decepticon shuttle, Megatron listened with minor interest as Thrust rambled on and on about this device that was apparently being called the Hydra Cannon. Shortly after the fateful encounter with Jetfire and Starscream above Mars, when bringing three Mini-Con weapons together had generated a cataclysmic blast, Thrust had approached Megatron with the idea of constructing a device aboard the shuttle to harness the energies of said weapons, and use it against the Autobots.
Megatron had consented to this plan, and had trusted Thrust to retrieve the Saber and Shield from the enemy. However, as with many of the tactician's schemes since he'd joined the fight on Earth, something had gone awry; the sword was still in the hands of Optimus Prime and his men.
Leaning his head against one fist, Megatron turned a slightly bored gaze towards this Hydra Cannon, visible through the view port of the bridge, mounted on the front of the ship. He couldn't help but question where Thrust had come up with the design, as it didn't quite resemble the many weapons of mass destruction that the Decepticons had built in the many centuries of the war. But, he couldn't be bothered to dwell on this mystery; as long as it got the job done, and especially if a good-sized number of the Autobots fell under the onslaught, he'd be happy with the darn thing.
Aware that listening to Thrust's droning speech was threatening to lull him to sleep, Megatron chose to cut in, simultaneously addressing the Decepticon tactician with the name that the men had taken to calling him the past few weeks. "So, perhaps you could tell me you have a new plan to capture the remaining weapon, Squidhead."
Though he balked at the name-calling (it was bad enough getting it from Cyclonus, even if that guy was almost insane), Thrust delighted in the fact of putting a new scheme into motion. "Indeed I do, sir," he responded. "And if all goes well, then our victory will be two-fold. Not only will we lay claim to the Star Saber, but we shall see the end of that traitorous Starscream."
Megatron scowled slightly at the mention of his former second-in-command. Yet, his anger towards the deserter had abated just a little in the days since their last encounter, and he was losing patience with Thrust and his games. No doubt the tactician was looking for a little payback for having underestimated Starscream during this last scheme. Megatron was a little fuzzy on what exactly had happened, but he gathered that Thrust had been attempting to get the wayward Decepticon to rejoin their ranks, as a means to an end.
More for the purpose of weighing on Thrust's nerves than because he actually felt this way, Megatron said, "I couldn't care less what becomes of Starscream. We shall get the Saber from him, but I see no reason to waste our energies in taking him out."
As expected, this declaration did reduce Thrust to a sputtering fit, which Megatron watched with carefully disguised glee. "B-b-b-but, sir! That traitor has officially allied himself with the Autobots!" Thrust spat out.
Though he was bothered by this fact, Megatron didn't let it show. "I'll thank you not to question my orders, Thrust. I am commander of the Decepticons, not you, so you will do as you are told. Is that clear?!"
Thrust wisely chose to back down. "Yes, sir," he replied.
"Good," Megatron said with the barest hint of a smile. "Now, let's hear that plan, Squidhead…"
For the most part, Red Alert, the Autobot's medic, never expected anyone to come into the med-bay of their own volition. Many of the drop-ins tended to be those who'd been damaged in battle, who needed repairs. The few exceptions would be when Optimus would stop in to check on the patient or when he needed to talk with Red Alert over some important matter or other.
So it came as more than a surprise when Red Alert entered the med-bay on Monday morning to find Starscream seated on one of the huge metal slabs, holding Starxis in one hand and calmly stroking the little guy's back with the other. The jet looked up as Red Alert entered, and spoke when the medic appeared too uncertain as to what was going on to say anything.
Red Alert found himself blinking several times as he tried to process the request Starscream gave to him. Looking slightly impatient, the jet simplified things by saying, "You heard me right. Now stop giving me that look of disbelief."
Red Alert took a split second to compose himself. Clearing his throat, he took a few steps closer. "If I may ask," he said, ignoring the aggravated look Starscream gave him, "what brought this on?"
Starscream looked down towards the Limscree youngling. "Alexis has been after me to do this for the past few days. Given that she's about as stubborn as I am, I imagine I'll never hear the end of it if I don't follow through," he said with humility. He looked back at Red Alert, adding, "And after what happened, I doubt I'd ever be welcomed back by my old teammates… Now can we please get on with this before I change my mind?"
With a sigh, Red Alert stepped over to the nearby cabinets, opening each one until he found the three items he was looking for: Transformer-grade paint remover, an adequately-sized stencil of the Autobots' faction symbol, and a can of red paint. With that accomplished, he moved back to where Starscream was seated and proceeded to get to work.
Even as he labored at removing the purple Decepticon insignias that adorned Starscream's wings, Red Alert attempted a conversation. "You and Alexis have been spending a lot of time together," he noted.
Starscream smiled slightly. "She is something… Even before our friend, Starxis, came around, it seemed that nothing I said or did could get her to stay away from me… I don't know just what it is about that allows her to get under one's chassis."
Keeping focused on his work, Red Alert responded with, "She has a good heart, as most humans do… You should consider yourself lucky that she's so willing to have faith in you, because Primus knows that many of the rest of us were going to need more time to come around."
Starscream felt a wry smile playing at his lips as he gazed down at Starxis. For twenty-four hours following the fight in the control room, the Limscree youngling, likely acting out of any residual anger that he and Alexis had been feeling, would stop to hiss at one of the four accusing Autobots if they happened to be nearby at any given time. At least something good had come of the ordeal though; all four, Hot Shot in particular, seemed to be much more at ease and understanding as far as he was concerned.
It took Red Alert roughly an hour to finish what Starscream had asked him to do. Once it was over, the jet stood and moved towards a nearby mirror to get a better look at the new symbols. Oddly enough, this break from who he had been made Starscream feel a sense of relief and hope for the future.
It was official; he was now and forevermore part of the Autobot team…
It had become almost standard that, as soon as Alexis and the boys got out of school, they would venture into the mountains overlooking the town, where the Autobot's base was, hidden underground. The first thing Alexis did when she got inside was to ask of Scavenger, the first Transformer she ran into, just where Starscream was at. Moments later, she stood in the entryway of the training room, watching the jet get in some practice with his wing sword.
Starscream probably would have remained unaware that Alexis was there (he had his back to her) had Starxis not caught sight of her and bounded towards her with the by now familiar chirping. Alexis took a second or two to nuzzle the little guy before focusing her attention on Starscream as he stepped towards her.
When she caught sight of the new faction symbols on his wings, a smile lit up her face. "You did it!" she exclaimed. "I didn't think you'd actually…"
Starscream knelt down so she could see him better. "Don't act so surprised," he said, his old irritable nature slightly showing. "It's what you wanted."
Alexis nodded once, completely understanding of the attitude; it was part of who he was and just maybe would never fully go away. "Well, I have to say they look great on you."
Starscream waved dismissively at her as if he was annoyed by the comment. Then, noticing she had her jacket draped over one arm, he said, "You probably want to go outside with Starxis for a while."
Alexis threw a quick glance at her jacket before gazing back up at his face. "There is that… But I've also been meaning to talk to you, in regards to the shuttle." She paused, and when she spoke next, there was a sad note in her voice. "This is coming from the guys as well as me. We know that once the ship's completed, which should be any day now, then you and the Autobots will be on your way back to Cybertron."
Starscream hesitated. He too knew of the dilemma that this presented; he had heard several of his teammates express their wishes that the kids be left on Earth for their own safety. It was understandable -- moving the battle into outer space presented too many unknown variables, and there was a greater risk that the humans could be harmed if present.
And yet, how could be content in leaving Alexis behind and face the possibility of never seeing her again?
The other problem with this was that, although he could go to Optimus Prime, plead his case, and perhaps persuade the Autobot's leader into acquiescing, it wouldn't be fair to ask Rad, Carlos, Billy, and Fred to stay put. Especially since all five kids had been so instrumental in aiding in the search (and rescue) for the Mini-Cons.
Fate was funny, given the way the lives of these humans had become so intertwined with those of the Transformers. If Starscream understood right, it had been Rad and Carlos who had instigated the events that had drawn the Autobots and Decepticons to Earth. Having discovered the damaged shuttle that had housed many of the diminutive bots while exploring some caves (said shuttle had been launched from Cybertron into the deepest reaches of space many millennia ago by the Autobots, as a ploy to bring the war between the factions to an end), Rad and Carlos accidentally activated a homing beacon.
Alexis had somehow gotten swept up in the melee that ensued (Billy and Fred would stumble into the middle of things later on), as members of both factions (Starscream included) used the warp gates to almost instantaneously make their way to Earth. The war over the Mini-Cons soon began anew; it seemed as if nothing had changed when it came to the Autobots' fight to free the tiny power-enhancing bots, or the Decepticons' desire to enslave the same. Well, nothing except for the decision of the kids to join the fight on the side of the Autobots.
One curiosity that stemmed from that fateful day was that the first three Mini-Cons to be awakened (High Wire, Grindor, and Sureshock) had "bonded" themselves, respectively, to Rad, Carlos, and Alexis. Each pair had become quite close and to this day, had become nearly inseparable. Although, Starscream thought, Alexis hasn't been spending quite as much time with Sureshock since Starxis came into the picture.
Focusing on the girl before him, Starscream said hesitantly, "I… I don't know that there's anything I can do to convince the others into letting you come with us."
She nodded, looking downward and hugging herself. "I know," she replied. "I can't expect one voice to outweigh half a dozen others… Jus… Just promise you'll give it a shot."
Starscream nodded mutely, then said, "I promise… Now why don't you take Starxis and head out? I have a feeling it will do you good to get your mind off this."
With a smile, Alexis went to do just that, donning her jacket the instant she got outside. Feeling a modicum of excitement, she climbed up behind Starxis' neck, taking hold of the little guy's peach-colored fur, before spurring him on. She found herself having just as much fun this time around as she had on the previous ride that Starxis had given her, and it made her love the little guy all that much more.
However, just when Starxis was starting to wind his way around a massive boulder above the cliffside, he suddenly recoiled with a frightened chirp and surprised Alexis by making a frantic attempt to maneuver towards the boulder's center. She barely had time to realize that Starxis was trying to avoid something before a massive metal hand came down on the spot where they would have been, had their initial trajectory continued unaltered.
Even as Starxis swerved to race off in the opposite direction, Alexis chanced a glance over her shoulder, terrified when she took in the red and mint green bot who'd been lying in wait for her. Demolisher, one of Megatron's most loyal and unwavering soldiers. While he looked disappointed at having missed catching her, Demolisher's recovery was quick and he moved to come after her.
Alexis had no doubt that Starxis could easily outrun the lumbering Decepticon, but she knew that where there was one, there was likely another. She had barely processed this thought before Starxis veered off again, this time to avoid being grabbed by another of Megatron's men, Cyclonus.
The chase had only been going on for less than a minute, with Starxis easily avoiding the grasps of yet two more Decepticons, before Alexis found herself hoping that the Autobots were viewing this tableau on the security monitors. She doubted that the Limscree youngling, no matter how fast and agile he was, could avoid the Decepticons forever; Given that there were five of them (even the colossal Tidal Wave) crowded around in a loose circle, it wouldn't take much effort on their part to corner her and Starxis.
"You fools!" Alexis heard the rumbling sound of Megatron's voice, though she couldn't actually see him. "Somebody catch them before the Autobots make their way out here!"
Ironically, it was Tidal Wave who got lucky; in trying to avoid Wheeljack, Cyclonus, and Thrust, Starxis ran right into the hands of the largest (and dimmest) of the Decepticons. The colossal Transformer didn't waste any time before cupping his hands together, trapping Alexis and Starxis within the enclosed space.
Through the thick metal fingers, Alexis could clearly hear the big guy say, "Tidal Wave has done as commanded, Lord Megatron." Why he had a tendency to speak of himself in the third person, she had no idea; right now, she didn't much care. She got to her feet, and, though she knew on some level it was fruitless, pushed as hard as she could against one of the metallic digits.
After a few seconds, she could feel that Tidal Wave was moving, and it wasn't much longer after that before she and Starxis were dumped unceremoniously within some large glass cylinder, which Tidal Wave was quick to cover with his hand. It made sense; the Decepticons would want the Autobots to clearly see that she and Starxis were being held prisoner.
As Alexis leaned against one side of the glass enclosure, sliding down into a sitting position, she thought bitterly, Negotiations are made so much more simple that way…
As Megatron had told Thrust (however false the statement was), he'd had no interest in wasting his energy in dispatching the traitor. However, the one and only thing that could have changed his mind and incurred his wrath was the sight of what Starscream had done to himself. It was one thing to have his former second-in-command switch sides; it was quite another to see that the Decepticon insignias had been replaced.
Needless to say, Megatron was downright furious by this, the greatest insult that his former soldier could have dealt his way. It nearly made him forget his reason for wanting to arrange this meeting, until Starscream reminded him by pleading that the girl and creature be let go.
With a wry smile, Megatron cast a glance towards his two prisoners, then looked back at Starscream. "So, it seems what Thrust says is true… You actually have come to care for a human. How pathetic. I never expected you to fall quite so far, Starscream." There was a slight pause, then Megatron continued with, "I would assume you still know your former teammates well enough to guess what we're here for."
Starscream tilted his head up a notch, crossing his arms. "The Star Saber, I assume?" he asked, feeling furious. He should have known that the Decepticons would make another play for the weapon and couldn't help but curse himself for not anticipating the move they'd made.
Megatron nodded. "However, I say we up the ante… I have no doubt you've been itching to take me down ever since you left the Decepticons, Starscream. Well, now's your chance! One on one, winner takes all… I'll even allow you to use the Star Saber against me."
Just three days earlier, Starscream might have been beyond ecstatic at having been handed this opportunity. It seemed funny to realize that he'd let go of some of the hatred he'd felt towards Megatron, but it seemed that recent events had changed his outlook on things. And now, it took only a glance at Alexis and Starxis, imprisoned within the glass cylinder, to lend strength to his convictions.
If any of the Autobots at Starscream's side was having misgivings about retrieving the Saber from the base, none of them gave any indication. Once the sword was in Starscream's hand, he moved towards Megatron even as the Decepticon leader (having been handed his own sword by Demolisher) stepped towards him. As the two adversaries squared off, each trusting their comrades to keep their respective enemy bystanders from trying anything funny, it was hard to tell which one of them looked more determined to be the victor.
Of the two, Starscream was slightly more experienced when it came to sword fighting, and the Star Saber gave him an edge as it could slice cleanly through almost anything. Yet, the one thing he couldn't have anticipated, as the two swords began to clash, was just what lengths Megatron would go to when it came to playing dirty. Each swing of the Decepticon leader's blade (positioned carefully to avoid being cut in half by the Saber) was followed by a wild kick or punch aimed at some part of Starscream's frame.
Avoiding both the arcs of Megatron's weapon as well as the blows being rained down was impossible; it was inevitable that a punch dealt to the center of Starscream's chest would be his undoing. This caused the jet to stagger backwards, partially bent over.
Megatron took advantage of the momentary show of weakness by executing a spin kick; his foot connected roughly with his opponent's right hand. The fight was over a second later, as this caused Starscream to drop the Saber. Giving a cruel laugh, Megatron instantly stepped forward, closing his hand around the hilt of the Mini-Con weapon.
"It seems nothing has changed, Starscream," Megatron jeered. "Even working for the opposing team, you still manage to disappoint me."
Disheartened at having lost, Starscream threw another glance towards Alexis and the Limscree youngling. He could do nothing but try to resort to reason; it would kill him to have lose to lose either one of them as well, let alone both. "Let them go, Megatron! You have what you want."
Megatron briefly turned to see what Starscream was looking at, causing the jet to wonder if the Decepticon leader had forgotten just what had initiated this battle. Turning back, Megatron presented his opponent with the most malicious smile that Starscream had ever seen. "Oh, I think not… Winner takes all, Starscream. That's what the terms were."
Unable to quell the rush of fury that this statement brought on, Starscream foolishly charged at his former leader. Megatron was ready for the move, crouching slightly and using Starscream's own momentum to put his opponent down. A split second, the jet was sprawled on his back just behind Megatron; not long after that, Starscream could see the tip of the Star Saber aimed at his face.
"Before I saw you today, Starscream, I might have spared your miserable life," Megatron said in a low dangerous tone. "As it is, you couldn't have disgraced yourself anymore in my eyes than by allowing yourself to be branded with our enemy's symbols." Megatron paused, and, a moment later, displayed no doubt as to what his intention was by raising the Saber up, holding the hilt with both hands above his head in preparation of driving it down. "If you wish to live as an Autobot, then you can die like one as well!"
Inside the cylinder, Alexis could only listen and watch helplessly at the scene taking place before her. Before she could even register what was happening, Starxis had seized the back of her t-shirt between his teeth. A swift turn of the youngling's head was sufficient to throw her clear from that portion of the enclosure. In the next second, Starxis reared back on his strong legs and then sprang forward. Before anyone could register the fact, the little guy had broken right through the glass.
Starxis didn't stop there though. Racing as fast as his legs could carry him, the youngling quickly closed the distance between the cylinder and the area where the fight was taking place. He swerved momentarily to jump onto a nearby boulder, took a few steps, swerved again, and then took a running leap right towards Megatron's face.
All this happened so fast that no one was paying attention to Alexis as she got up and almost instantly ran towards the hole that was left in Starxis' wake. As she made her own escape, she almost expected one of Megatron's men to take notice and stop her. But then, she could hear loud howls echoing around her (which she barely registered as coming from the Decepticon leader) and instead focused on running as fast as she could, trusting that the Decepticons would be too caught unawares to register that she was escaping.
Fortunately, one of the Autobots, Sideswipe, had taken notice that Alexis was on the run, and he moved to meet her halfway, scooping her up in one hand. For a moment, she fought against him (more than likely thinking that one of the Decepticons had come for her) until she caught sight of his face.
Fighting to calm herself, Alexis turned to look towards Starscream and Megatron, just in time to see Starxis drop away from the latter's face into the former's upraised hands. A split-second later, she looked right at Megatron, noting that he'd somehow managed to keep hold of the Saber during the assault, though he now had it lowered and resting by his side.
Megatron's other hand was up by his face, and his howling continued unabated for a few seconds. Alexis was unable to see why until that hand dropped slightly and he held his head upright, allowing her to view the gaping holes containing a mess of frayed wires. At this, she could barely stifle the laughter that threatened to overtake her.
Starxis had rather effectively torn out Megatron's optics!
Megatron seemed to quickly recover enough from the fact that he was now vitually blind to order a retreat. The Decepticons were all gone within seconds, disappearing one by one through the warp gate that would take them straight back to their own base.
Still laid out flat, Starscream turned his head, viewing the bits of red glass (all that remained of Megatron's optics) that littered the ground just inches away. Feeling a wave of satisfaction from this, he hugged Starxis to his chest, tilting his head to look at the youngling. "Good boy," was the most appropriate thing he could think to say at the moment…
High on the mountaintop overlooking this particular battle, Sideways had watched the whole event, unseen by anyone. By the time it was over, he had to admit to being amazed; he'd not expected things to take this turn. For all of his efforts to keep the flames between the two factions burning, this single fight far outdid them all.
This outcome was more than Sideways could have hoped for; it was certain that he (and his master) could benefit greatly from it. If they were lucky, perhaps it even meant that their timetable could be moved up.
How ironic, Sideways thought, that our victory could be assured simply by arranging to keep Starscream and his "pet" alive as long as possible…
Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this installment as much as I enjoyed writing it(even if the fight sequence between Starscream and Megatron proved to be more difficult than I anticipated).
Next up: The Autobots' fight to disable the Hydra Cannon is aided by an unexpected source...