The Village

Summary: Exploring Nebulos, some Autobots come across a small village

Sunny Valley

''Through a miraculous confluence of geography and happenstance, a fertile valley has developed here amongst the arid plains and foreboding jungles of this area of Nebulos. There is a small lake in the middle, from which all the lively greenery in the area springs. Hills and mountains flank this secret garden, protecting it from the ravages of nature. Butterflies flit about as predator and prey alike share the fresh waters. Tall trees provide shelter from the vicious sun and small red and yellow flowers flaunt themselves in clusters around the valley. This would be a nice place to retire.

Red Alert wanders out of a shuttle, hands covered in goo and fluids from the Pretender shells he was examining inside. He wipes off his hands with a folding it neatly and putting it away.

Raindance is floating about, bobbing about from the treetops to land on the ground. "Nnn" he emits. "Last night... why do they always aim for the crotch. I blame Grand Slam. Stupid Decepticons!"

Scattershot has made his way back to the shuttle, stills muttering and cursing about Ultra Magnus' lack of willingness to blow up troublesome planets. He stomps up behind Raindance and glowers. "Ya ain't GOT a crotch, yer a TRIANGLE," he growls, just barely resisting the temptation to step on the little jet.

From Soundwave's chest to being alive to Autobot City and across the galaxy to Nebulos all in such a short time. Has -anyone- had as active an awakening as Twitch has been subject to? No wonder he's got a nervous personality. Peering out from the door of the shuttle like it was his realm of safety that he was reluctant to leave, the little Laserbeak lookalike hesitates for about as long as he can stand it before finally hopping out slowly after Red Alert. The blinking collar around his neck a constant reminder of his probationary status around here. Not that he's complaining about it. Except when it itches.

Raindance makes a few beeping noises, the lights along his side flashing angrily. "When in Slamdance mode I am the legs Scattershot. I'm a gestalt commander just like you, you know!" He twirls round, focussing his camera optic onto Twitch suspiciously. "Hey my brother from another mother! How are you liking the lovely world that is Nebulos!"

Scattershot merely scoffs. Then glowers at Twitch. "You better behave, Deceptichump! I'm WATCHIN' you!" He raises to fingers to point at his eyes, then points them at the tape, looking grim.

Red Alert shoots Raindance a quick frown, then looks at Ultra Magnus. "I recommend instituting level 3 noise reduction protocols. That means avoiding all sounds over  levels. No shouting, no honking, engines on low RPMs." He also gives Twitch an untrusting, measuring look before continuing. "I'm sure the Decepticons have deployed armed patrols by this time, no sense in making ourselves even more of a target."

Mute walks around with a little handheld... erm tricorder. He appears to be wearing a Star Trek uniform (one of the original series ones) tops coloured red. He walks right between Scattershot and Twitch, stops for a moment, turns the 'tricorder' towards Scattershot, scans for a moment then looks up. He points two of his fingers at his optics, then makes a sign at Scattershot before he proceeds to walk cheerfully onwards.

Twitch hops out a few more paces out into the open before finding a table he can hop up onto with various equipment strewn about it. It has a free spot for the little mechanical bird though, and he has just settled into place before he gives an audible, "Eep." As Raindance peers toward him. "It's...big?" He manages after some hesitation. He knows the basic layouts of Earth, Cybertron and such from his databanks but he's still experiencing this all for the first time, and here he's already on another planet. He visibly shrinks back as Scattershot makes the finger-to-eyes motion, identical to what Cliffjumper gave him the other day. "Okay! Okay! ...why does everyone keep doing that?" He mumbles the last part to himself.

Twitch also adds somewhat more quietly as he shuffles his feet and wings. "...m'not a Decepticon..."

Raindance turns around to flash Red Alert with some of his scanning lights. "Ah sir, as Security 'guy' I thought I would tell you that there is a village nearby. Perhaps we should go scout it out, in case of any Decepticons and to get the lie of the land. Also can I be your deputy?" He gives a few more bleeps at this

Scattershot squints at Mute for a moment, then shrugs. "Well, whatever THAT meant," he grumbles. "Sure, you keep watchin' him too," he continues, hazarding a guess, before turning his attention to Red Alert. "Waddaya MEAN no shoutin'? What'm I s'posed t'say if I see Decepticreeps or space monsters?! 'Oh gee Autobots, terribly sorry to speak out of turn, but we appear to be under attaaaack! Waaaaa I am a FE-male Autobooooottt'." The Technobot Commander snorts, then shakes his head.

"Well, 'least we kin learn somethin' 'bout this planet while we're here. Raindance, git up there t'that village an' git us some tactical mappin'. Take th'Decepticon bird with ya. Red, kin ya check fer perimeter defenses 'round th'village?"

Red Alert nods seriously to Scattershot. "Of course. On my way." He transforms and begins prowling around the outskirts of the village, using an electric motor rather than his normal engine (Autobot hybrid technology!). Even if nobody else is going to keep the noise level down, Red's still gonna do his part. He activates his sophisticated radar and electronic surveillance equipment and continues making a circuit around the city.

"M'not a Decepticon..." Twitch states again, though still quietly. Almost a bit sulking as he peers towards Scattershot, then finally looks back to Raindance again. Well, sounds like it's instructions, isn't it? And he did tell Springer he was going to pull his weight, even if it isn't that much. After only a moment of hesitation he moves to follow after Raindance, taking a quick hop into the air as his thrusters ignite and send him soaring upwards.

Scattershot stalks towards the village, watching Red Alert go to work and Twitch take to the skies. He's not one to trust easily. Or at all. He stops outside the range of Red Alert's snooping patrol, then crosses his arms and waits, slowly tapping his foot.

Nebulon Village ''A Nebulon village. Obviously once a happy place, the small houses and streets have since fallen into disrepair. Scorched trees surround the place, with tank tracks sunk into the ground. Some attempt has been made to decorate the village, with faded banners everywhere, and a broken, scarred may pole in the green in the centre.

The village is exactly how it looks in the desc. A once lovely rural place, now fallen to disrepair. Strange bushes with three-pronged leaves surround the place, where the undergrowth isn't blackened by fire or crushed under huge footprints. There is some life going on in the village, with some natives clustered around the may pole

Scattershot sighs, and hates being in charge of people who are not Technobots. "Alright, well..." he pauses. "Guess we should try an' approach th'natives." He takes a few steps forward, towards the middle of the town, then pauses again. "Maybe ya little guys oughta go first. Less imposin' that way," he decides. "Raindance, y'remember that universal greetin' Kup taught ever'one? Might work."

Twitch blinks. Universal greeting? For the moment he soars after Raindance, just following the Autobot's lead as he banks about, optics scanning the area below. Oh how he wishwishwishes he had some of Laserbeak's advanced sensor equipment. The curse of being an unfinished project.

Raindance swivels at Scattershot. "The universal greeting was just something Kup made up in his ancient mind. The actual translation is obscene and will get you a death sentance in half the civilised galaxy. That said... 'bah weep granah weep nini bong!'" He emits this loudly, floating up. And... everyone on the ground looks at the transformers, screaming and scattering, leaving just a women clad in a white ceremonial grown in the centre of the green, crying

Scattershot frowns, finally stomping into the green. He takes in the may pole and the running natives, then sighs. "Well, guess it weren't such a polite thing t'say aft'rall," he mutters, crouching to squint at the white-clad woman at her eye level. "I ain't got any idea why this one's still here," he looks to his 'panel of experts'. "Any guesses?"

Twitch soars down over the village as well as the transformers announce their presence. "Why're they running?" He asks, unsure of the situation here save for what he's heard, really. After some deliberation he too sets down near the maypole, on the green. A soft *THUMP* issuing out as he settles into place and looks left, then right, then finally back to the crying woman curiously.

"YOU!" the woman screams, pointing to Scattershot! "You murdered my father, you evil, evil Decepticon!" Crying, she starts to kick at his foot. "Come back! Kill them!" She shouts loudly to the other cowering villagers.

Scattershot turns his visored optics on the enraged woman. "Well, I ain't sure I didn't murder no one's daddy," he muses, thinking back on his long, violent career of space-gang violence. After a moment, he snaps back to the present. "I kin say I'm pretty sure I ain't never been t'this planet b'fore. An' I ain't no Decepticon." The large robot gestures at his codpiece, where a darkened panel lies. "Y'all kin check my rubsign ident if y'all don't believe me."

Twitch blinks again as accusations of Decepticons and the like are thrown all around. Well then! "We're not with them...." He tries, wagglings his wings as he hops a little bit closer so as to be on something more like eye level. "We just got here! Sort of. We didn't hurt anybody!"

The woman reaches out a hand to rub Scattershot's panel, showing the Autobot logo. "Hmmp" she whines. "I... I don't believe you. You're all the same. You come here, you ravage our lands, and you send us to the smelting pools once you work us to death. A curse on Thunderwing!" As she says that, a little toddler runs from his parents towards Twitch. "Birdy!" he cries, as his parents run after him, screaming for him to stop.

Most Autobots would try to reassure the people in a situation like this. Or maybe if they're smart enough try to use the situation with the Toddler to show they're harmless. But this is Twitch we're talking about. "AHHHHGH!" he spazzes out suddenly as the Toddler runs at him, the mechanical bird leaping back, stumbling and pitching over onto his back, his little feet waving in the air pathetically. "AHHHH! Help! It's gonna eat me!" Yes, the mechanical birdy is currently freaking out as he's attacked by a toddler. Yes it looks ridiculous.

Scattershot nods as his true allegiance is revealed, but continues to frown at the doubting woman. "Look lady," he begins, reasonably enough. "I know a thing're two about not trustin' strangers, but it looks t'me like y'all're in need'a some help." He casts a glance at Twitch, just watching the ridiculous scene for a moment. Then, he amends the bird's statement: "We ain't hurt nobody but DECEPTICONS. An' this Chunderwing scrap pile's gonna get some hurt laid on 'im soon enough."

Suddenly everyone in the village is poking their heads out their doors and windows to /stare/ at Twitch. "Mummy' says one of them. "Look at the funny birdy." The mum puts a hand on the childs shoulder. "Hush Timmy, thats a devil bird!"

The woman with the dress wipes her eyes. "Still..." she weeps. "You didn't stop them from doing all this. You didn't stop them from turning this planet into a slave factory, did you?"

"Why isn't anyone helping me!?" Twitch states, wings flapping in indignation as he's assaulted by the toddler until such a point that the child is retrieved by its parents. This is about when he calms down, and realizes he's got a fair number of pairs of eyes staring at him. "Uh..." A moment passes, and then he hops to his feet again, wings flapping a second time. "...um...just...just being careful! You know..."

Scattershot looks confused. "What, me, pers'nly?" He ponders, rocking back on his heels. "No, I s'pose I didn't at that. I been kinda busy savin' Japan an' rescuin' herds'a endangered species." The Technobot places his hands on his knees. "Tell ya what, lady." He pushes himself to his feet, and nods at Twitch. "We'll go curbstomp this Blunderwing chump, an' after that we'll go look fer a time machine." He crosses his arms. "An' failin' that, we'll just have ta help ya rebuild, an' maybe establish a defensive outpost on one'a them moons so the Decepticreeps ain't never gonna have another shot at yer people. No one deserves t'be a slave."

The people start to trickle from their houses, slowly at first, then more and more, until they crowd the Autobots. Most of them are laughing at Twitch. The rest are looking at Scattershot. One, dressed like a space Abraham Lincoln steps forwards. "You say this, but we have been let down before! The Decepticons left, but then they returned, they were brutal, they enslaved us and destroyed our spirits. And now the strongest of us slave away for Thunderwing's insane ambitions. He wastes /nothing/. You will find no graves on Nebulos."

Twitch has a bit of wounded pride, but manages to shake it off relatively easily. Better they be laughing than screaming and pointing, right? Satisfied that the ends justifies the means, he simply falls quiet, listening to the words of the Nebulons with his head quirked curiously to one side.

 Scattershot says, "Now listen."

 Scattershot says, "This's just fair warnin'."

 Scattershot says, "But I ain't no diplomat an' I'm negotiatin' with an alien race."

 Raindance says, "Transform to gun emplacement mode. There is human diplomacy called Gunboat Diplomacy"

 Scattershot says, "I'll take that unner advisement."

Scattershot straightens his shoulders and drops his hands to his sides. "Nice hat," he counters. Then: "Now I ain't a scientist, an' I ain't a diplomat. We got other people fer that crap in th'Autobots." He places his hands on his hips, looking serious. "But I am one thing. I'm a fighter, an' I'm damn good at it. I'm tellin' ya right now, when I say I'ma smash that Dweebcepticon, it's gonna get done. An' when I say those tin-plated bucketheads ain't gettin' back t'this planet without goin' through ME, then y'all kin be DAMN sure I ain't just blowin' air out my tailpipe."

The Technobot Commander gazes skyward. "I'm givin' y'all my word, as an Autobot... no Decepticon's ever gonna enslave anyone on this planet... ever again!"

There is a chattering of voices throughout the crowd. A man dressed like a space Ghandi steps forward. "Can you do it? Can you really destroy Thunderwing and his accursed smelting pools? Can you drive the Decepticons away from here /forever?/"

As the man speaks, Raindance turns to Twitch. "Quick, do more funny things, they like that"

Twitch blinks, then waggles his wings in indignation back at Raindance. "Hey! I'm not an entertainment droid!" Yes he does have a -little- bit of a pride when it comes to things like that. Though he gives another mistrustful look to any children. "It was small and made wierd noises...I'm new to this okay!?"

The little kid now known as Timmy starts to poke at Twitch. "Mummy mummy, can we keep him please? I will love him and feed him and tuck him in at night..."

"Wait, what?" Twitch blinks, optics wide. "No you can't keep me! I don't even eat...I don't even sleep! I don't make a good pet, really!" Again witht he wing flapping in indignation.

Scattershot crosses his arms, looking insulted. "A'COURSE we kin do it!" he huffs. "We'll git started right this solar cycle, an' we'll be done afore y'all kin even check yer chronometers an' see how many bleems it took!" He smacks a huge fist into his opposite palm. "Don't y'all worry yer squishy li'l heads. We'll have all this sorted out in no time." He turns, heading out of the village. "Raindance! Twitch! Y'all kin stay here until th'assault, but when th'trumpets're soundin', I'd BETTER see th'BOTH a' y'all rushin' straight to th'front lines!"

There is a smattering of applause from the villagers at Scattershot's words. Raindance however is less than impressed. "Really Scattershot! I have no legs, so I cannot rush anywhere. You are a mean Autobot!"

"RUSH WITH YER AFTERBURNERS!" Scattershot roars over his shoulder, leaving the village. FOR GOOD?!? Only TIME will tell!

 Scattershot says, "Well I just promised 'em we'd chase off Thunderwing an' build an' outpost here. So. Y'all better wedge that inta th'budget, 'cuz I ain't gonna stand for bein' made a liar!"