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Not many factions were willing to work with the decepticons.
Be it neutral colonies that had survived the fall of cybertron or even somewhat civilized organics, not many were keen to even open negotiations with them. Normally those who wouldn't bow to them would simply be crushed, but Starscream had been ordered to try his best to work out a deal with these specific creatures.
“I am your Air Commander, not some diplomat.” He had hissed at Megatron as soon as his leader had ordered him to lead the negotiations on this planet, but said mech had simply leveled him a glare that would have made anyone want to crawl out of their plating.
Their last diplomat had been viciously murdered not long ago so it was decided that someone who could hold their own against an assassin should be the next to endure a diplomatic meeting with a potential ally and it didn't help Starscream's case that he had experience with politics. So he had been chosen and had no choice but to follow the orders he had been given.
It wasn't long thereafter that he landed on the planet he didn't even bother remembering the name of. More likely than not they would want protection of some kind in exchange for materials and he would get to return to the fleet without having caused a major political incident. Hopefully.
He was greeted by a group of small organic creatures who were strangely built and unpleasant to look at. They were clothed in strange metallic garb and the tallest of them bore a shield the size of one of Starscream's wings.
“Be greeted oh grand delegate of the noble decepticons.” An organic with a violet hue to them spoke, tone silky and far too groveling for Starscream's taste. “I am Senator Cel and these noble ones behind me are the High magistrate and his guard. We are the blessed representatives of the people of Angelus systems.”
Fanatics then, great. If they already introduce themselves like that it will surely mean that he will be dragged into a cultural exchange.
The negotiations went surprisingly smoothly.
While the organics were dim witted and ugly they did have supplies of use to the Decepticon cause and Starscream in turn could promise them protection from pirates and smugglers in exchange.
It wasn’t a tactic they often used, but according to the outline he had been given this had indeed been approved by lord Megatron.
“We shall meet again by the next starrise, then our agreement can be signed.” The magistrate announced nasally, voice grating on Starscream's processor. “Why not sign it now?” He asked, wanting to move on as soon as possible.
Instead of replying the magistrate simply bowed his head and left, deeply submerged in their thoughts. “It is simply the way of our people. The magistrate will consult our Gods and come star-rise we will officially be allies.” Senator Cal spoke up as their superior got up to leave.
The room they were in was in a large building the organics had called a cathedral. Starscream supposed they had elected to meet in this temple because it was the only room he could feasibly fit in, but apparently they combined politics with religion.
Really, he had no right to judge, being not only a cybertronian but from Vos of all places as well, but it still made him want to roll his optics.
Gods rarely answered their followers in times of great peril, so why would they bother themselves with such trivial matters such as this? No matter.
“This is common practice?” He asked, not really caring for the feeble beliefs of these creatures, but playing along out of good will.
The Senator beamed up at him: “Yes indeed, delegate Starscream! Would you like to see why our Gods are so dear to us? We are in their halls after all.”
“Very well.”
He was led deep into the temple, past multiple other rooms and some enclaves he could tell held graves. As the small creature guided him further he took note of the different artworks littered on the wall. His optics trailed the walls as focused as they would a target.
It took everything in him to keep up this earnest facade as he passed a mural of the prestigious Gods of the planet; A strikingly familiar creature was drawn on the wall, ugly and organic like most things on this planet. But he knew these ones. Knew how dangerous they and their associates were.
Quintessons, he realized with a start. Their “Gods” were Quintessons.
Now that was something he would have to inform Lord Megatron of before signing any agreement with these horrid creatures.
“Do they have designations?” Starscream nearly brought forth nothing but static, only barely managing to form words. He cast a quick look towards the Senator only to find him smiling obliviously.
The Senator shook their head remorsefully, as if saddened by the fact they didn't know what the quintessons truly were.
Pathetic.
He was about to say something else when a suspiciously placed curtain caught his attention. It was huge and boldly coloured, not at all fitting in with the interior decoration of the room it was in. The organic, having noticed his shifted interest, ushered him closer to it. With a pull on a rope a large picture was revealed.
Starscream looked up at the ancient mural that was hidden behind the curtain.
He wished he hadn't.
Seekers.
There were seekers carved into the stone. Beautiful and painted in colours that had stood the test of time. They looked… sad. Their wings hung low behind them and their servos were stretched up into the sky - a gesture of deep despair.
Behind them stood large spires that were fractured and crumbling. Starscream knew too well what they depicted.
“They are beautiful, no?” The representative spoke as if enchanted, beady eyes somehow even rounder. “The false Angels came here, filled with magnificent horror. Our Gods slew them swiftly and without mercy, saving our people from them. This was the last time we know that they descended from the heavens to help us.” The small creatures sighed wistfully. “Too bad, they sure seem magnificent like this.”
Starscream snapped his helm to the alien, his optics narrowing to thin slits. “Do you know what was done with their remains?” His usual grandeur had left him, had been replaced in a mere klick with what could only be described as unabashed fury. Burning so bright that it had circled back to calmness.
“Oh, they were taken apart, made into our holy relics. It has been said that the shell of the angels is strong enough to withstand the most powerful blasts our mortal weapons can produce.” The organic took a step towards the mural. “This one was said to be their leader, a great sire of many angels. His wings were forged into the high magistrates shield.”
Starscream tore his gaze away from the pathetic creature and looked back to the depiction of the long offline seeker. He recognized the mech, how could he not? It was his sire. He whom he had long believed lost in the ruins of Vos. Reunited at last only to find him slaughtered by these -
By these animals.
And what does one do with misbehaving animals? You punish them. Severely.
Before he had been Starscream the Decepticon, yes even before he had been a scientist, he had been Ulcthar. The first sparkling born to both his sire and carrier, adored grandchild of the mech with the highest authority on Vos.
And right now he was him again. A prince with a duty to fulfill, revenge to enact. Megatron might scalp him for this but right now he wasn't a decepticon, no, he was a vosian seeker about to show these creatures just how false their gods truly were.
He didn't say anything. He didn't need to.
These pests didn't need any further warning.
The Senator crunched beneath his pede, his blood clinging to Starscream like red paint.
The cathedral was large and expansive, yet Ulchtar could navigate it just fine. He cared little for secrecy now, the trail of blood following him was not very subtle after all.
Before long he found a room filled with weapons he recognized from Vos. His Energon boiled within him, but he needed to be focused for this. With a swift motion he grabbed a pre-war gun, happy to find still some charge within it.
Every single alien he came across was gunned down without mercy.
He was efficient.
Made quick work of them.
With blood splattered all across the walls and floors he finally found what he was looking for; the leader of this circus. With his claws pointed he gently opened the heavy wooden door to the magistrates office, immediately getting hit with the pungent smell of burning herbs.
The magistrate turned around swiftly, a furious snarl on their face. “Who dares disturb me while I am in prayer?!” The only answer they received was a servo picking them up by the scruff.
Ulcthar threw the ugly thing into the air, transforming into his jet form just in time to catch them in his cockpit. The winding halls barely fit his wings but he still rushed through them, the air screeching like a cry as he sped up.
With practiced ease did he break through the wooden door of the building. Panicked shouts erupted from the organics that were standing in the great plaza before the house of worship, confusion clear in their frightened voices.
Ulcthar turned in the air and spun up towards the roof, hoping that the thing within his cockpit was suffering the consequences of experiencing high G-force from within a fighter jet.
He transformed back into his root form as he landed atop the cathedral's highest tower, the flames from his heels scorching the stone beneath him. He twisted himself in such a way that he could peer down upon the organic creatures.
A vicious sneer played on his face and he flared his wings out, opening the mechanism to release his rockets.
The magistrate dangled from his claw, crying out in prayer.
“Your gods aren't listening.” He hissed as he lifted the thing up to his face. “Only the Angels are.”
Recognition flickered on the vermin's face, but nothing the thing could say would save it now.
With a loud snapping sound he bit off the magistrates head, letting it drop to the ground below them along with the rest of the corpse.
Cries of anguish rose from below him, sounding like music to his audio receptors. He flew up straight, spreading his wings far apart and released his rockets into the building.
Holy light painted an ethereal picture as the angel rained Divine punishment on the people of Angelus-1.
Megatron was, as expected, furious with him.
“You worthless seeker, you cost us an alliance! Do you think anyone will trade with us ever again? Pathetic.” The Dark grey mech growled at him, only moments away from tearing off his wings. But Starscream was well versed in being shouted at and had prepared himself for this.
“My servo has seized the kingdoms of the worthless gods, whose graven images were more depraved than anything I had ever seen! How could I let anything like this ever stand? I am the prince of Vos, the one true heir to the winglords of old, and you dare to try and condemn me for this?”
He had been right to name himself Starscream, for even many stars away his screaming could be heard.
“I acted as was appropriate. My people shall not be forgotten, not by me. If you see fit you may strip me of my titles, beat me till I shut down. I care not. My actions were the minimum of what those pathetic organics deserved.”
Megatron stared at him blankly for a klick before simply sighing and waving him away. Starscream would surely still face punishment, but for now he could retreat to his quarters.
The other seekers still needed to be told about what he had discovered and he was sure they, at least, would appreciate his actions.