Less Dirt, More Blushes.

Chapter Fifteen.

Starscream jumped up from his seat to look first at Optimus and then at Morshower, as Barricade followed suit.

"Do you mean that, really mean that?" Starscream asked, looking first at Optimus, then swivelling around to look anxiously at Morshower, pinning him with a nervous, hopeful ruby gaze. "And you? Do you mean all your noble words?"

As Optimus nodded, Morshower emphasised his earlier words, reassuring the Seeker and looking directly at him to show the sincerity of his words.

"Yes, I meant what I said. I only have so much influence, but if our three sides can stop fighting, I will use the influence I have to work towards what I have promised. However, you will need to show willing too, but I have some ideas about that as well. You will probably have to meet some bullish and bombastic military types, and many boring and sometimes insincere politicians, but I can give you some advice and pointers there too."

The look on Starscream's face suggested that if he could have rolled his optics, he would have.

"Why is it that politicians of all kinds, even those from different worlds, all seem to be the same?" he said in pained complaint. "You'd think they might have more honour."

"We always said politicians are the same the world over, 'Kaela and I'" Sam said. "From what you've said, make that 'the universe over' and we've all got it right."

"What could you offer us to assure us of your willingness?" asked Morshower. "For as distasteful as it is, we have to admit that most diplomacy is a form of trading, where each side bargains what they can offer for what they most want."

"Yes, it is, isn't it?" Starscream said thoughtfully. "What is it that you want, and what you will give us for it, and vice versa." He paused. "I was talking with Miles about this earlier, and perhaps I can make this an opening offer: if you make peace with us, we can all worry less about being shot at, a benefit all sides will, I am sure, appreciate. However, the Decepticons would like to have some of the advantages the Autobots get, such as fuel and refined metals and minerals. I understand that your world itself is short of many of these materials, and we Cybertronians have got further in space travel than you humans. If we could help you get to and mine the asteroids and nearby stars, and perhaps help you explore planets that may sustain human colonies, would we be up for a cut of the refined product of such mines? And would humans be happy to do the bulk of the mining, for on Cybertron, many Decepticons were forced to do the bulk of mining and many of us never want to see the inside of a mine again." The convulsive little full-body shudder Starscream made told Morshower that Starscream was speaking from personal experience.

"There are many miners on our world, many young enough and adventurous enough to train up in space mining techniques," Morshower told the Seeker, trying to hide how appealing Starscream's offer was. Humans had long looked at the stars and dreamed of reaching them. Unmanned probes had reached the edge of the solar system, and a manned voyage to Mars was on the cards at some stage, but the furthest manned missions had reached was the Moon. "Space travel takes intensive preparation and millions of dollars. Would you be able to help make it cheaper and more efficient?"

Optimus Prime stood, his baritone voice carrying across he hangar as he spoke.

"General, if I may interrupt? The reason we Autobots have not offered something similar is because your species is much like ours: warlike. Our greatest concern would be your species using technology given for peaceful progress being used as a weapon, as most forms of energy production can be used for either purpose." Optimus turned to the Seeker. "I think before we offer the humans energy sources, we should talk, as a race, and not just as factions, about the wisdom of giving humans a technology that could be utilised to annihilate greater numbers of their own kind more efficiently than they currently can. We should also be careful about this technology altering the balance of power on this planet."

"Of course," Starscream said, sounding surprised. "However, I have noticed that much human technology is not as efficient with energy as it could be, nor are the methods of production as efficient as they could be. If we could help humans burn their fuel more completely, increasing energy yield while eliminating pollution, we believe that may help. We could also teach them to utilise chemical reaction energy more, and more effectively, for power, such as using hydrogen and oxygen to create water, and harvesting the energy released in the process. By improving technology they possess, or showing them new ways to use it, we would not need to give them new technology." He paused. "We could simply show them how to fully utilise what they have, and using that which they have to get more of what they need, so they can not only live well, but grow, in numbers, and as a species."

"Um, excuse me, but we are still here, you know," Sam said. "How about talking to us technologically inferior humans here, instead of just about us?"

"Well, yes, but I just needed to explain to your Prime that we weren't about to give your species a new way to destroy your own kind," Starscream said.

"Which turned into a discussion about our shortcomings in front of us," Sam pointed out. "You wouldn't like it if the General and I started discussing what we saw as your shortcomings as if you weren't here, would you?"

"Well, no," Starscream said, as Lennox put a hand on Sam's shoulder and whispered something about 'drop it, Sam' in his ear. Sam gave Lennox a baleful look but subsided.

"So, you're not so much offering space travel as cleaner and more efficient fuel," Morshower continued.

"Well, just because we won't give you our technology doesn't mean we wouldn't convey humans to and from certain places ourselves," Starscream said. "After all, both our species are still short of materials made by refining raw materials in short supply on your Earth, but plentiful elsewhere. Literature and comments humans have posted in various sites on your World Wide Web suggests there is no shortage of pioneer types who may like to settle and colonise new worlds, which may go some way to solving both your population pressure, and what I believe would be termed 'turf wars' between your various nations."

"Pretty big spreads of turf," muttered Sam, as Morshower threw him a look and then said "Yes, I believe all your suggestions hold merit, and you are right. America's founders were all pioneers, so there should be no shortage of pioneer spirit for future colonists. It won't solve all our problems, many people won't want to move, but for those who do, it'll be an opportunity."

"Well, I think maybe we've all got somewhere," Miles said.

"Indeed," Starscream said, as both Optimus and Morshower nodded at exactly the same time in agreement, the unconscious synchrony making Sam stifle a laugh.

"I will have to report back to my superiors about this, and will ask for, in the spirit of these talks, a ceasefire for the duration. If the two of you will also agree to a ceasefire, effective immediately, I believe the chances of such a ceasefire, considering the integrity of the two faction leaders, to be high. It may be possible, if we get beyond ceasefire, to extend diplomatic privileges to you both, but I'm afraid it does mean your two sides will also have to come to some agreement." Morshower blinked, as if surprised himself at his long speech, as Starscream visibly preened at Morshower's compliments, and even Optimus puffed out his armour a little in pride. Miles had to quietly admit to himself that Morshower was quite a negotiator.

"You requested equality from us, Decepticon Leader Starscream, and that we are willing to give," Optimus said. "Conditional, of course, on an immediate ceasefire, which we shall also honour, we will forward fuel and parts to your Base, and extend our hospitality to those mechs of yours who will swear a solemn vow not to abuse the hospitality, a vow I will insist my mechs also take." Miles had noticed Starscream's annoyance at the mention of the hospitality vow, but also noticed it disappeared as soon as Optimus mentioned his own mechs would be required to do likewise.

"What about the humans?" Starscream said. "You said nothing about them honouring an immediate ceasefire." Optimus looked about to speak, but as Morshower stood, he nodded to the General and allowed him to speak first. Morshower nodded at the courtesy, and stood.

"We do not enjoy the instantaneous communications you do, Starscream, and there will be much debate, but I will make it clear to those above me that we, too, must agree to a ceasefire within a certain timescale, to make it binding. I will also communicate your desire for equality, and in that spirit, request an eMail account, or a representative we can contact, in order to let you know an estimated time to decide, and of our actual decision."

Miles himself had not thought of that, assuming Optimus or Ratchet might convey the government's decisions to the Decepticons, and it seemed the Decepticons accepted the courtesy as Thundercracker volunteered himself and gave Morshower the number of a cell SIM that he had altered to divert to his own comm system.

"May I suggest the ceasefire be implemented within two human weeks?" Starscream asked. "Close enough to one of our orns to decide, but which the Decepticons will honour from midnight tonight, to show our sincerity and commitment to peace."

"Yes, and thank you," Morshower said, nodding in approval as Optimus also agreed to the midnight cease-fire time, comming all his mechs as Starscream was comming his, to tell them to stand down by midnight, or sooner if they were not in, or likely to be in, immediate peril.

"What about us?" Barricade said, standing up. "You Seekers seem to have it all worked out, but if we are going for equality, why have us grounders not been consulted?"

"Why do you think you are here, Barricade?" Starscream asked. "You are the commander of the Decepticon ground forces, if you have something to add, please do, the floor, as the humans might say, is yours. The ground forces are under your command, just as the Seekers are under mine. If we put aside my Leader status for now, you and I are equal, both in command of our respective forces." Then, as if to emphasise his point, Starscream turned to face Barricade as he gave him an equal-to-equal Seeker bow that was neither overblown with sarcasm, nor exaggerated in any way.

Barricade was struck dumb for a moment, not sure how to respond, but said "As long as you will keep it, so will we. I will even order retreat or non-violent resistance should we be attacked during the two weeks it will take you to decide."

"Believe me," Morshower said "if I have my way, it won't take even two days, never mind two weeks."

"Well," Starscream said just before the ensuing silence threatened to become uncomfortable, "shall we continue with the rest of the presentation?"

All nodded, and sat to watch the rest of Hound's holographic show.

A/N: As this seems like a natural cut off, and I am suffering from terrible writer's block, this is, for now, where this story ends. If I work past the writer's block, amd if I get the ideas, I'll write a sequel, but fpr now, this story ends here.