Starxis
By: PhantasmBabeIvory
Disclaimer: Don't own the Transformers; Hasbro does.
Chapter Nine
"So, what do you want to do, Rad?" Alexis was asking a little later. Following the incident with the black hole, all five kids had asked to have some time to themselves. They were now secluded within one of the staterooms that had been designed with the Mini-Cons in mind; it wasn't nearly as large as each of the Autobots' rooms tended to be. So far, their discussion wasn't going well; they were somewhat divided over what their next move should be.
Rad sighed, leaning against the far wall and gazing blindly up at the ceiling. "The one thing I keep coming back to is why High Wire and the others wanted us to come along so badly. They had to have known what we were up against."
Carlos jumped in when Rad didn't say anything further; as optimistic as he might be at times, he seemed at a loss for how to make light of the situation. "I gotta agree with you there. At least with the Decepticons, we kind of knew what to expect… But Unicron… That dude is way further out of the ballpark. How are we supposed to help against something like that?"
Alexis looked down at her hands. "High Wire must have believed we'd be of some use in the battle to come," she said softly, "or else he wouldn't have been so adamant about having us come along."
"Well, I don't believe that!" Billy said sharply, causing Rad, Carlos, and Alexis to look at him with wide eyes. "I don't know about the rest of you, but this is not what I signed up for!"
Brushing aside Fred's weak comment that had to do with eating, Alexis said, "So, back to my original question -- what do we do? The Autobots still have a Warp Gate aboard this shuttle. They'd have no problem taking us back home if we only ask."
A long silence ensued following her statement; even Fred seemed at a loss for words. Given that Alexis' thoughts had almost instantly turned to Starscream, she had no doubt that each of the boys were focused on whichever Autobot(s) they were closest to. At last, Alexis went on with, "Would it help any of you if we talked to High Wire?"
Rad looked over at her, hesitating a moment before saying, "I don't think that it would be like any of the Mini-Cons to knowingly put us in harm's way. Too many of them consider us as friends… Look, we all saw what they did for us out there. Couldn't it be possible that all of them together are our best defense against Unicron?"
"Given that we don't know what all Unicron is capable of, that argument doesn't really hold up," Billy countered.
After a moment, Rad stood up straight. Of all five of them, he was the one with the best leadership skills, and it showed in what he had to say next. "And how many times over the past year have we been thrown for a loop by Megatron? Or Sideways? Or any of the Decepticons, for that matter? In all cases, it came down to trust. Whether it was the Autobots, Mini-Cons, or even just having faith in ourselves, we somehow managed to come out on top more often than not."
Rad paused momentarily, taking a deep breath as he looked at each of them in turn. "Whatever lies ahead, we have to keep trusting in our friends to see us through. It's gotten us this far, and we have to believe that it's all going to turn out for the best… If there's any of you that's not quite convinced of that, then I won't stop you from going to one of the Autobots and asking to be taken back to Earth."
Rad waited to see if anyone would move, and smiled every so slightly when none of his four friends budged from their spots. "Then I guess we're all agreed… And hopefully, we'll soon find out just why the Mini-Cons feel that we're needed here…"
Alexis had been quick to go to Starscream with the news that she was staying for the time being. Though he didn't say so, she got the impression that he was happy to hear this. Then, he surprised her by noting that Starxis hadn't been throwing one of his trademark fits during this latest crisis, causing Alexis to say, "Maybe he knew we'd be alright, that we'd be saved… I don't know how he does it."
"I don't either," Starscream answered. "But I hope he keeps it up. It would at least give us some warning when something's wrong."
Alexis nodded, then turned her gaze towards the youngling and paused when she saw something she hadn't expected. "What…?" she started to say, then broke off and continued with, "Is he… Is he shedding?!"
Startled, Starscream turned his head to gaze at the youngling perched on his shoulder. Much to his dismay, he saw that Alexis was right, judging by the many loose peach hairs that were now coating that particular region. Feeling flustered, he said, "When did that start?!" He reached up with one hand, making a somewhat futile attempt to brush the fur away; it only ended up making it worse. "Bad Starxis!"
"Starscream, calm down," Alexis said softly, with a note of humor in her voice.
He turned briefly to glare at her. "Don't you dare laugh at this!" he said with a hint of irritation. "At least you don't have to worry about your gears getting clogged up!"
Alexis had to bite her lip to stifle her laughter. When she felt she had calmed down sufficiently, she elected to help out the poor guy by calling for Starxis to come to her. The youngling complied with a chirp, leaping down to the floor from Starscream's shoulder an instant later. With that accomplished, Alexis turned to look up at the jet, laying one hand on the youngling's head. "Happy?" she asked lightly. "You can get it cleaned up now before it causes any problems."
Starscream turned and began to walk away, grumbling all the while. Alexis watched him leave; when he was gone, she saw for herself just how bad the situation was. Her hand, which had been gently stroking the fur on Starxis' head for just several seconds, was now equally coated in hair. "Good Lord," she murmured, brushing her palm against the side of her pants -- which, in retrospect, probably wasn't the best idea. Looking down at Starxis, she said, "I hope this is just a short-term phase. If not, we're in big trouble…"
The rest of the voyage to Cybertron and the landing of the shuttle on the planet's surface went quite smoothly. There was no further indication that Unicron was staging another attack, and the area that they'd picked for their landing site was devoid of any Decepticon troops for the time being.
Optimus, Starscream, and several of the other Autobots had exited the shuttle and were starting to look around, though none of them was venturing very far from the ship. Alexis and the boys were watching from the vicinity of the massive doorway, each of them outfitted with custom spacesuits and helmets that Red Alert had made for them. Starxis, at the moment, stood next to Alexis; she had been unsure how the youngling would respond to Cybertron's atmosphere, but he seemed to be just as comfortable here as he had been on Earth.
For a moment, Alexis simply watched as the Autobot troops spread out, sending out transmissions to alert any of their Cybertron-based soldiers who might be nearby that they were back. Then, she turned towards Optimus, who was nearest to the shuttle door, saying, "I don't see anyone out there."
Optimus sighed, lowering his head slightly. "That doesn't mean there isn't anyone. More than likely, most of the Autobots left on Cybertron are engaged in battle, which is some distance away from our current position… Don't you worry. As soon as they get the message, they'll be dispatching some of the troops to our location."
Alexis paused for a long while, her gaze wandering over the visible surface of the metallic planet. "It doesn't seem all that much different than Earth," she said at last, drawing a curious stare from Optimus. She looked back at the Autobot leader, continuing with, "It seems we're always fighting some meaningless war there too. What would it take to make the Decepticons see the Mini-Cons as equals instead of just tools of war?"
Optimus shifted his weight. "There's no easy answer to that, Alexis," he responded. A pause, then, "There are times, especially as of late, where I'd like nothing more than to see the war end. We've all been fighting for so long, I think that there are some who have forgotten what it means to live in peace… Even before the Mini-Cons came along, it seemed that all any of the Decepticons ever wanted was to wrest control of Cybertron away from the Autobots."
Alexis was startled by his statement. Blinking rapidly as she tried to process this, she blurted out, "What do you mean, 'before the Mini-Cons came along?' I thought that they were the reason the war started in the first place."
Optimus shook his head, knowing instantly that he should have realized that none of the human children knew of this. "They came into existence perhaps two millennia after the fighting began," he explained. "I'm not sure; it was slightly before my time, or even Megatron's, for that matter. All I know is, their presence and the knowledge of what they could do only served to make things worse. The Decepticons even stood to achieve their ultimate goal for a time, until the Autobots arranged to send each and every one of the Mini-Cons off into the furthest reaches of space."
"Did that end the conflict?" Rad put in, having listened to all this with great interest.
"For a time," Optimus answered with a slight nod. "But once Megatron came to power as a lieutenant under the Decepticons' leader -- three millennia later -- the war started anew. As before, they wanted control of the planet. Only this time, and until the Mini-Cons were rediscovered on Earth, both sides seemed to be locked in an eternal stalemate. We were too evenly matched for it to be otherwise."
If Optimus had been going to offer anything more on the subject, it was lost when he noticed that Hot Shot was returning to the shuttle. The latter was quick to report that he'd gotten a response to the broadcast he'd sent out; some of the troops out there were now vectoring to their location. The subsequent arrival of Blurr and Hoist, each coming back to the ship from separate directions, confirmed the same.
As soon as some additional Autobot troops began to appear on the horizon, Alexis began to feel at ease enough to duck back inside the shuttle, turning her attention to Starxis. Though she (and a select few of the bots she'd been traveling with) didn't much like it, the youngling was still shedding like mad. Even petting the little guy (no matter how much he liked it) was becoming a hassle, as that caused an excessive amount of fur to come loose. What was worse, Starscream had stated he wasn't going to let Starxis near him unless it stopped.
What she wouldn't give to go at Starxis with a hairbrush at this point…
In the hours that followed, the Autobots' shuttle was relocated to the exterior of one of the buildings in a nearby city. While Red Alert and Sideswipe were asked to stay on board the ship to watch after the kids and the Mini-Con passengers, the rest of the Autobots filed inside the enormous structure to get status reports from the soldiers who'd come to greet them.
The news that Optimus received was somewhat disheartening; according to the Cybertron combatants, the number of cities that had fallen to Megatron and his men proved that the Autobots' elite had to get out there soon to counter them. Though the threat of Unicron still loomed overhead, Optimus was forced to set it aside in place of this more pressing issue. Despite this, Starscream was allowed a few precious minutes with Alexis to explain the situation before stating he had best join the Autobots in stopping the tide. She told him, "Good luck," and made him promise to be careful out there.
Though he was joined by Scavenger and Hoist in patrolling part of the neighboring city where the battle was currently taking place, Starscream had to admit to feeling slightly nervous over the possibility of running into Megatron. Once he determined that the Decepticon leader would only get the best of him if he let his guard down, Starscream stayed on high alert, holding his wing sword firmly in both hands and raised defensively in front of him.
Moving down an alleyway into the adjacent plaza took him out of sight of his comrades, though he could radio them for help if he needed it. He quickly scanned the surrounding area for any hint of survivors -- there weren't any -- and then turned towards a flicker of movement nearby, instantly tense.
Whichever one of the Decepticons he was expecting, it certainly wasn't Wheeljack. The latter spotted Starscream in almost the same instant, raising one of his oblong-shaped guns and firing off a shot. Fortunately, Starscream was able to deflect it by moving his sword into its path.
That didn't stop Wheeljack from trying twice more, advancing slightly as he did so. However, when he saw that the shots weren't producing the desired effect, he moved in closer. A unique feature of his guns was that, given their three-dimensional, rectangular shape, they could also be used as swords.
Whether Wheeljack had forgotten just how skilled Starscream was or was simply determined to take him down in any way possible, he was sorely disappointed when the jet proved he could hold his own against two blades when he only had one at his disposal. In no time at all, Wheeljack had been deprived of one of his weapons.
An instant later, Starscream had Wheeljack on his knees, though the latter was straining as best he could to hold back the former's sword with his own. Though Starscream had no desire to eliminate the guy (Wheeljack was still, for all intents and purposes, a rookie, so it wouldn't exactly be a fair fight), he wasn't suicidal enough to let him up either.
Keeping Wheeljack pinned for the time being, Starscream said, "Ease up… If I wanted you dead, you'd be so already." To prove this, he backed up slightly, though he still held his sword out in front of him in a defensive manner. "I'm surprised to see you here on your own. Or is one of the other Decepticons nearby?"
For a long moment, Wheeljack didn't budge, as if he didn't trust what Starscream was saying. It was understandable, given that the two of them had only spent a total of 12 days working together on the same team. And yet, ironically, it was Wheeljack who he found he could most relate with these days.
As Wheeljack slowly got to his feet, Starscream's gaze was briefly drawn to the Autobot faction symbol decorating the guy's chest plate. He was surprised that Wheeljack had never had it removed, though there was something symbolic about the fact that there was a deep gouge (a war injury that had never been repaired) cutting through the center of the insignia.
Wheeljack's full story had been related to Starscream by Alexis mere days ago; it seemed that the Decepticon rookie had been friends with Hot Shot, before any of the Transformers had even come to Earth. Fate, and a series of cruel twists, had been responsible for turning the two into enemies. To make a long story short, Wheeljack apparently believed that Hot Shot had deliberately left him to die in a fire somewhere here on Cybertron. The fact that it was Megatron himself (big surprise there) who ultimately saved Wheeljack's life had convinced the latter to switch sides, though it was more likely out of misguided gratitude than anything else.
If not for the fact that Wheeljack had pursued Hot Shot to Earth in an attempt to kill him (and, by association, Sideswipe), he might never have been welcomed into Megatron's inner court. Regardless, Wheeljack had since proved himself as a capable soldier amongst the Decepticons, though he still did have a lot to learn.
Wheeljack looked ready to begin the fight anew, but Starscream stopped him by saying, "Don't try it! You know I outmatch you, so you shouldn't bother wasting your energy in trying to take me down."
Wheeljack relaxed his stance slightly at those words. "So, I'm to believe you'd just let me go?" he said guardedly.
"Yes," Starscream answered simply. "Because I have no quarrel with you. Time allowed, we might have even grown to like each other." A pause, then, "Seems we can claim to have something in common these days, Wheeljack. It took being left for dead to make us both defect to the opposing team."
Before either he or Wheeljack could say anything further, Starscream's comlink suddenly buzzed to life, and the sound of Optimus' voice rang through. "Starscream," the Autobot leader said hurriedly, sounding worried. "Wherever you are, you've got to get under cover now… We've got another black hole forming in outer space, and this one's directly over the battlefield!"
Wheeljack had heard that transmission loud and clear. Though he looked confused, he didn't put up a fight when Starscream seized him by one arm and dragged him in the direction of the nearest ruined building. Along the way, Wheeljack was even able to retrieve the sword/gun he'd lost.
For a few minutes, all either of the Transformers could do was watch as pieces of rubble began to be lifted away towards the sky. And the reports that were ensuing through both of their comlinks indicated that a number of the Decepticon battleships were being swallowed up as well. Then, it all suddenly ceased, coinciding with reports that a "giant green orb" had taken the place of the black hole.
Starscream bowed his head, feeling relief that the Mini-Cons had stopped Unicron's attack once more. In the next instant, though, he wondered if they'd continue to be so lucky, especially if these assaults kept up.
"What was that?" Wheeljack asked, and there was such fear in his tone that Starscream turned to regard him.
With a sigh, Starscream replied, "Something far bigger and more powerful than you or me." He replaced his wing sword and converted to his jet mode, instantly taking to the sky. Though he had no doubt that Wheeljack had more questions, he was too impatient to stay and answer them. As it was, Starscream was anxious to get back to the Autobots' shuttle and make sure the kids were alright.
En route, he sent out a message, hoping that the ship was still there and that he'd get a response. He wasn't disappointed, as the sound of Alexis' voice sounded through his comlink to say they were fine.
Alexis was at the shuttle door to greet Starscream upon his return, and she proved to have an earful of news for him. "Well, I kind of took care of the shedding problem," she said coyly, wearing an odd smile.
Starscream regarded her curiously. "Don't tell me you shaved him."
Alexis shook her head. "I asked Red Alert to help me in giving Starxis a bath, in the hopes that it might get rid of all the loose hair… Well, it worked, but our furry little friend was left nearly bald as a result. The good news is that it looks like this is natural for him; the peach fur is being replaced. Seems he's going to be brown from now on."
Starscream's optics widened at the news of this development, but he was ready to take it in stride. Then, Alexis hit him with something even more startling.
Alexis lightly bit her lip, still wearing an odd smile, then looked back towards the interior of the shuttle when she heard Starxis begin chirping behind her. Instantly, she took a step away from the doorway and made a weak gesture for Starscream to back up. He had barely done so when the youngling came shooting out of the shuttle, chirping happily and incessantly.
For a moment, Starscream wasn't quite grasping what he was seeing, even though his optics remained fixed on Starxis. Once he registered that the youngling was actually soaring through open air, he turned to look at Alexis in bewilderment. "Well," she said timidly. "Scavenger did say that Starxis was going to emulate you in some way… So, seems he grew a set of wings for himself…"
Unable to formulate a response to this, Starscream watched mutely as Starxis circled around, coming to hover in front of the startled robot. After a few seconds, Starscream raised one hand, allowing Starxis to settle in the center of his palm. Instantly, the leathery wings, covered in a light brown fuzz, folded against the youngling's flank, instantly indistinguishable from the rest of his body.
With a slight laugh, Starscream reached out with his free hand, stroking Starxis' head with one finger. "You never cease to surprise me," he said softly…
Some distance away from the shuttle, Optimus was walking quietly through the battlefield, undeterred by the many Decepticon troops who were still shaken by the sudden appearance of the black hole. Though the danger had passed, there were a number of them who had nearly been swallowed up by the anomaly before it dissipated. Relief at still being alive had taken the fight out of the majority of them, it seemed.
However, Megatron, ever the hothead, was doing his best to inspire his soldiers to continue the fight. Approaching the Decepticon leader from behind, Optimus found it surprising that Megatron could still be so tenacious and vocal after what had just transpired.
Optimus hesitated for a moment, trying to wrap his head around what he was about to do. If Unicron's latest attack had convinced him of anything, it was that it was no longer safe to remain on Cybertron, for any of the Transformers. If their new enemy continued to come after them in this way, it would be inevitable that every single one of them could fall victim. And perhaps the only way to survive and/or have a fighting chance was to bring the war between the two factions to an end.
With a sigh, Optimus called out Megatron's name, alerting the Decepticon leader to his presence. With a cry, Megatron instinctively turned on his heel, taking a swing at Optimus with the sword he held in one hand.
Optimus reached up swiftly, grabbing the blade firmly in one hand and halting its arc. "That's enough!" he said fiercely, causing Megatron to stop and regard him curiously. Undeterred, the Autobot leader continued with, "It's time that the fighting between us ended."
Megatron blinked; it seemed that this was the last thing he'd expected Optimus to say. He took a step back, yanking his sword from his opponent's grip, but made no further attempt to attack. "What kind of trick is this?"
Optimus' optics narrowed; count on Megatron to think that the declaration was nothing more than a ruse. "After what you just witnessed, how could you possibly ask that?" he said in a quiet tone. "It's come to my attention that there's a greater threat, to both Autobots and Decepticons, out there somewhere. The attack that just decimated your army was a precursor to what's undoubtedly coming… Someone that the Mini-Cons are calling Unicron."
Megatron proved just how pig-headed he could be with his next statement; once he got an idea fixed in his head, there was very little that could change it. "What I saw, Optimus, was a rather impressive tactic utilized by you and your men to turn the tide. I don't know where you acquired the technology to generate such a tempest, but rest assured, it will not be enough to let you win the battle."
Before Optimus could react or say anything further, Megatron caught him off guard by calling for a retreat to anyone who was listening. The Decepticon leader was soon gone, taken through his Warp Gate to wherever his current base of operations was. As Optimus looked around, the rest of the Decepticon soldiers were following suit, though some looked like they were being inspired by the disappearance of their teammates.
With a deep sigh, Optimus turned away and began the trek back to his own headquarters. There has to be a way to make Megatron listen to reason, he thought. I have a feeling, if the two factions don't join forces, it just might be that very soon there will be no future for any of us…
Author's Notes: The scene between Starscream and Wheeljack gave me a little trouble; otherwise, this chapter might have been posted sooner.
Next up: Thrust is exposed as a traitor.
