Author Note: Well, here's the final update. This story is now done but far from over. I've been inspired by a review from ww1990ww and will be writing a companion to TCE. No idea yet when that will go up though.

Many thanks again for all those faithful readers that stuck till the end and who provided feedback in form of reviews or by setting this story to their alert or favorites. I'm always glad when people like a story of mine.

I promised cyber cookies to anyone who guessed the correct translation of whirr-click chirr-chirrup click click, and the winner is… *drumroll* kira444! *sends package with cyber cookies to kira444* The Autobots were talking about the Quintessons. To anyone guessing Replicators: SG-1 met them and fought them on various occasions, but they have yet to (though hopefully never will) encounter the Quintessons.

Enough waffling. I present you now with the conclusion of "The Comet Enigma". Thanks again for sticking around; it was a blast. Please enjoy now the epilogue and remember: Reviews are love!

– epilogue –

More Than Meets The Eye

The next days passed fairly quickly. Sam, Lennox and Epps, as well as the rest of the soldiers, were in debriefings or holed up in video conferences, discussing the pros and cons of the Autobots' request to remain on Earth with the higher ups. Teal'c volunteered to assist the cleanup crews or lent a hand to the medical facilities treating the wounded. Daniel practically lived in Hangar B. If it weren't for Ratchet's insistence of regular sustenance and proper recharge, he wouldn't have set a foot out of there ever again.

The loose ends were the kids, Samuel Witwicky and Mikaela Banes. They were housed in the officers' quarters, with guards outside their doors. They were allowed to see each other during the day, but they couldn't step outside. Naturally, as teenagers, they were quickly bored. As ranking officer involved in recent events, Sam was asked for advice. She paid the kids a visit at the end of the first day after the battle.

"Colonel, please," the boy began when Sam walked into the room. "We've been telling them we're not a security threat. You can let us out of here."

Sam could sympathize with them but the reason for their 'incarceration' was another one. "It's not so much of you posing a security risk," she told them. "We're on a military base, and the regulations for civilians are rather tight. Add to that the unknown that are the aliens, and we're pretty much in lockdown." She held up both hands to ward off the teens' protests before they came forth. "I know the Autobots are friendlies and wouldn't harm us. But the brass doesn't just yet. Give it time. Until then I'm sorry, but you'll have to stay here."

Worse than having to tell the teens they were practically incarcerated in their rooms was having to be present during their 'interrogations.' A barrage of questions along the like of "How did the aliens make contact?" or "What was your involvement in the battle?" was fired at the kids. They wouldn't answer, however, until they had the written promise that Mikaela's juvie record would be erased and that Samuel's parents were unharmed. To say Sam was surprised to learn that the girl had been apprehended for grand theft auto along with her father would be an understatement. But she made a couple of calls and could eventually hand the desired document over as well as assure the boy that his parents had returned home safely. Samuel asked whether he was allowed to call them. Sam nodded and organized him a phone. After he had spoken to his parents and Mikaela to her grandma, both teens cooperated without problem, answering whatever question they were asked.

Sam also tried to regularly check on the Autobots. They were all fine, though repairing Bumblebee's injury was slow-going. When Daniel asked why, Ratchet started a half hour long lecture on the inferiority of human-made metal and equipment, irritated at the disruption. "I have to fall back on other methods to reattach the legs," he explained sourly. "They need to support Bumblebee's weight after all. It wouldn't do if he tried standing and crumbled down because the welds don't hold, would it? Now shoo and stop pestering me!"

Amused at the medic's short temper, Sam and Daniel beat a hasty retreat.

The Secretary of Defense was in and out of the base several times as well, sort of commuting between the Pentagon and Nellis. They finally met him in person three days after the battle when he walked into the hangar early in the morning, just as SG-1 was finishing having breakfast whilst talking to the Autobots. Sam immediately stood at attention. "At ease, Colonel," the man said, then greeted them all with a firm handshake. "It is a pleasure to finally meet the infamous SG-1," Keller said. "Your work at Stargate Command has been pivotal in the last years. I had hoped to get to know General O'Neill too, especially after reading so much about his more… adventurous exploits, but I suppose the blackout made it impossible for you to contact him?"

Sam smiled. "Thank you, Mr. Secretary. General O'Neill is up to speed; I called him as soon as communication was restored thanks to the Autobots –" She gestured at Optimus Prime's truck behind her. "– and I've been updating him every day. He is expected to come to Nellis in a few days."

"Good, good. We need someone experienced to take care of this." Keller then looked at the semi with interest. "So you are the extraterrestrials' leader?" he asked.

If the Autobots were wondering about the humans' conversation, they didn't show it. Optimus merely replied with a polite, "Yes, Mr. Secretary, I am. I am pleased to make your acquaintance."

"The pleasure is mine. As I understand, it was because of your intervention that the Decepticons were taken care of. Thank you."

If Optimus could have nodded, he would have. The semi didn't move or change in any visible form, yet Sam perceived the wordless acknowledgement regardless.

"And you would then be Ironhide and Ratchet," Keller continued in the direction of the pickup and hummer. "I already heard a lot about you from the kids, Witwicky and Banes."

Neither bot replied to that; it hadn't been a question after all. It was Optimus who spoke first, asking, "We haven't seen Sam or Mikaela since coming here. How are they?"

The Secretary of Defense waved his hand dismissively. "Both are fine. I've spoken to them before coming here. They asked to see the Autobots, but as civilians, I cannot let them wander freely around a military base."

"Why?" Ironhide nearly growled the question.

"Regulations," Sam answered shortly, not wanting to start a heated argument with the weapons specialist.

Keller seemed to sense the need for a change of topic so he asked, "How is Bumblebee doing? I understand he had been injured in the battle."

Ratchet the hummer huffed and complained, "He would be doing much better if I didn't have to work with inferior material and could work uninterrupted, but each time a human official comes in to talk to us, we are to resume alt-mode!"

A string of alien sounds drifted from Optimus' truck toward the medic, and although Sam didn't understand a word, she got the tone: it was an explanation, a reminder and a rebuke – all at the same time. When Ratchet's engine only revved once in reply and afterward fell silent, Sam's respect for the Autobot leader grew. Then Optimus addressed Keller, "My apologies, Mr. Secretary."

The politician stared at the semi for a moment, then waved his hand dismissively again. He turned back to Sam. "I'll leave you to it then, Colonel, knowing things are in your team's good hands. If you'll excuse me, I have a meeting to attend to." Sam had barely time to salute before he walked out.

"Finally!" Ratchet said. Sam turned at the sounds of transformation, in time to see the hummer morph into the medic's imposing humanoid form. He continued grumbling under his breath while walking to the other end of the hangar where Bumblebee lay partitioned off; as long as he couldn't change into his vehicle form, no one but the Autobots had access to him.

Ironhide and Optimus were quick in transforming back to bipedal mode too. Sam's focus was entirely on the latter as he was crouching down on knees to reduce the height difference. "I take it this 'Stargate program' is responsible for your previous meetings with extraterrestrials." It was a question and statement at the same time, and surprisingly without any accusing inflection.

Sam shared a look with Daniel; could they tell the Autobots? The program was classified for a reason. Yet they were aliens too and more than qualified for the program.

Turning back to Optimus, Sam nodded. "Yes."

"So General O'Neill is the commander in charge of the program," Optimus deduced.

"Yes. He used to be our team's commanding officer until his predecessor, General Hammond, got promoted to head of Homeworld Security."

"I see."

Ironhide stepped closer from behind his leader. "So what does 'Stargate' mean?"

Daniel took up the explanation, telling the Autobots about how the gate was dug out of the Egyptian desert and how he had – literally – unlocked its secrets before describing them the gate's buildup and functioning. When he fell silent, Optimus and Ironhide conversed in their alien language, the electronic sounds moving back and forth at a speed that it was hard to follow who was talking at any point.

Eventually, Optimus switched back to English. "I believe we encountered a few of these Stargates during our travels, never knowing what they could do. The planets were either uninhabited or the people treated the Stargate with reverence suggesting it was a religious artifact."

"In some cases they were," Daniel said, then plunged into the history of the Goa'uld, their enslavement of humans and Jaffa as well as the SG teams' battles against them. That was also when they revealed Teal'c's true origins. To say the Autobots were surprised to learn that Teal'c was not human was an understatement.

Optimus or Ironhide must have informed Ratchet because the medic poked his head out from behind the partition, eyeing Teal'c pensively. "So this hole in your stomach served as an incubator for the Goa'ulds' young?"

"Indeed."

"Mhm…" Teal'c was scanned again. A moment later, the medic froze, his expression changing to one of utter surprise. He whirred lowly and then slowly said, "Your genetic makeup in its basics is like the humans', yet it has been altered. Improved in fact."

Teal'c straightened his stance before nodding once in Ratchet's direction in acknowledgement.

The medic blinked and issued another scan. Once he finished, he shook his head and uttered something in his native tongue to which both Optimus and Ironhide reacted sharply, their attention fixed on the Jaffa. Ratchet then said, "My scans indicate your cells' age to be much higher than the average human lifespan. Yet you appear healthy and in no immediate danger of deactivation due to your physical body malfunctioning."

Daniel grinned. "Jaffa tend to become much older than we. It's part of them being used by the Goa'ulds. The larvae take over the job of their immune system. Jaffa therefore are stronger, heal much faster and live longer – provided they have either a larval Goa'uld in their abdominal pouch or take Tretonin like Teal'c does."

"Tretonin is a chemical substance derived from Goa'uld larvae. A sort of drug if you want," Sam explained when seeing the Autobots' questioning expressions.

"I see…" Ratchet said and scanned Teal'c a third time. Afterward he huffed and said, "There seems to be no physical impairment now that the larva has been removed. You are declared fully operational."

Sam and Daniel sniggered while Teal'c raised an eyebrow at the medic. "Thanks, doc," Sam said after a while, grinning. The medic grumbled something and returned to Bumblebee's repairs once more.

"So you've been collecting alien technology?" Ironhide ventured, bringing them back to their original line of conversation.

"Yes. At first it was just scientific curiosity. But immediately after contact with the first Goa'uld, we received standing orders to gather any technology of interest that might assist us in defending ourselves against an attack by the Goa'uld – or other, at this point unknown, hostile people." Sam pursed her lips. "Whilst your arrival on Earth wasn't through the gate, you are a technologically advanced species. With the kind of weaponry you use, we could win our battles all the time."

The change of mood was instantaneous. Optimus Prime leaned back, bringing distance between them while simultaneously straightening his posture. "Whilst a compassionate race," he then began, "you humans also have a tendency toward violence. Our technology would be too dangerous in your hands. We will therefore not share any of our technology." His tone made it clear this was nonnegotiable.

Sam was taken aback at the suddenly cool tone, staring at the Autobot. But the longer she thought about it, the better she thought she could understand where he was coming from. She had seen them fight, and that much firepower could prove too much to handle for someone without experience or intending to do as much harm as possible. However, she also saw the advantage such advanced technology would bring. She would definitely address this issue with General O'Neill. Off world or not, she had her standing orders, even if it meant that there would be serious discussions with the Autobots in the future.

…

A week after the battle in Mission City, General Jack O'Neill drove into Hangar B of Nellis Air Force Base. He immediately recognized Carter, Teal'c and Daniel. The two soldiers next to them he didn't know; one was a US Army Ranger, the other a US Air Force Tech Sergeant.

The two strangers stood at attention with salutes when Jack got out of the car. He ignored them for now, instead focusing on Carter. "Got your latest report," he said, praise in his tone.

"Thanks, sir," Carter replied with a smile. She gestured at the two strangers and quickly introduced them to each other. After the humans shook hands, Carter turned toward the vehicles across from them. "Sir, I'd like to introduce you to Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots, and his weapons specialist Ironhide."

The vehicles started moving, not forward or backward but up, until two humanoid mechanic beings stared down at them. The taller of the two, the one that had been a blue semi with flames on its doors, crouched down and said, "It is a pleasure to meet you, General O'Neill. Colonel Carter and her team have told much about you."

Jack nodded, a little stunned. He had read the reports and seen the pictures, but they paled in comparison to reality. "Likewise. I heard a lot about you too. Lots of good things." He then turned back to Carter with an inquisitive look; her report had said the Autobots were four, yet there were currently only two standing in front of him.

Carter understood immediately and explained, "Their Chief Medical Officer Ratchet is currently with their scout Bumblebee, seeing to the repairs of Bumblebee's legs."

"Ah." Jack glanced back at the Autobots, pensive. After some moments, he walked over to Carter and stopped in front of her. He put a hand on her shoulder and gravely asked, "Carter, didn't I ask you not to find aliens?"

Lennox and Epps stared at him in bafflement. Daniel snorted and promptly started coughing. Carter's smile turned into a grin, albeit an apologetic one. "Sorry, sir, we tried."

Above them Optimus Prime blinked and rumbled, "My apologies, General O'Neill."