The Diego Diaries: Hand-To-Hand (dd6 104)
-0-Fight Night
A femme froze at the sight before her. Strange aliens with writhing tails and slavering fangs stood in a group before her, their shiny black forms filling the hallway. She stared and they did, then she gripped a handle to the door from which she had just departed and slipped inside. Shutting it tightly, she stared at the handle as the monsters outside beat on the door. "TIA TO BRIDGE! THERE ARE MONSTERS DOWN HERE!"
"Bridge here. What's happening?" a voice said.
"There are big monsters in hallway 119BC. I'm trapped in the secondary fire control nexus. THEY'RE TRYING TO BREAK IN!" she screamed as the fury outside continued.
Raptor turned to environmental. "Put a picture of the hallway up on the forward monitor."
The mech at Environmental worked, then a hellish scene appeared on the screen. Tall beasts with elongated heads, long sharp tails and glistening teeth were beating on the door. They dripped acid which fell to the ground and sizzled as their strong arms beat and tore at the door. There were several bunched together making it hard to assess them. Raptor glanced at Ironhide who rose in his chair as he stared at the screen. "You have a clue? I don't."
"Those are the acid monsters," Ironhide said. "We can't shoot them normally. A tight beam through the head is the only way or their acid blood will splatter everyone and we'll have a mess."
"Handle it, Ironhide." He glanced at Environmental again. "Fix on their signs, run the ship. Find out if the slaggers were dumped anywhere else. Alert everyone. Give them Ironhide's directions. Tight beam shots to the helm."
That mech nodded, then sounded the alert. A klaxon blared all over the ship and would be joined by others in the fleet as the threat was sounded. It would be found that ten were on Raptor's ship, five were on the other battleship and two were delivered to two different shuttles. It would be a loud, curse-filled shoot out on each.
-0-Springer and Co.
They broke from the debris field heading out as fast as they could. Four fighters followed them. It was open space to the great battle unfolding in the distance, one that involved a lot of their ships, a horde of fighters and somewhere outside their reference zone, a mother ship that was huge and highly defended. It was silent inside the shuttles as they fled, then shooting began. The guns of both began to target the fighters who broke up, each coming around to begin their own runs at the enemy.
Sunstreaker shot ahead of one diverting it from heading toward the other shuttle. It swung back on them. Sideswipe who was engaging one glanced at his brother. "Thanks."
"No problem," Sunstreaker said as he took a bead on the fighter, made the calculations, then lay down a stream of fire. The ship was hit, spun violently, then exploded. "Yeah," he said. "One down, three to go."
-0-Prime and Co.
The sight of the combat on screen was punctuated with flashes of light which exploded into being, then winked out almost immediately. He glanced at Communications. "Cut in the local viewpoint."
The tech did, then the forward screen filled with images of fighting. Some of the alien fighters had scored a cruiser, causing damage along the length of it. Some of the damage indicated their own and the enemy's equipment. Watching the firefight, Prime felt the usual internal disquiet that this was the path they had to take over and over again.
:Raptor to Prime:
"Prime here."
"We bagged about seven of the intruders on our vessel. They like to get into the duct systems and hide there. Fraggers have an acid blood and saliva. We have a few burns but the tight beam shots through the helm are the best way to go if you don't want to burn up," Raptor reported. "The mother ship is pulling back. We have two shuttles breaking out to run to us. I sent support to interdict. They have four bogies pursuing with two destroyed. Right now, we're breaking even."
"Understood," Prime said. He glanced at the box with humans who were dividing their attention between him and the forward screen. "William, are you ready to go back?"
Lennox looked at the others who shook their heads. :We're good, Optimus. Thanks:
Prime nodded, then looked at the screen. It would be quiet and tense for a bit longer.
-0-On the run back to safety
A shot to the propulsion elements of Kup's shuttle spun it, slamming it into Springer's. The mechs inside were tossed around on both ships before they sped onward. Kup's shuttle began to slow as it trailed its engine's entrails behind it. Hercy's ship swung around, then firing with fury, flew back to assist. A furious fusillade of fire was exchanged before the two remaining fighters passed them.
:Hercy to Prime:
The calm voice of Hercy sounded over the intercom breaking the thick stillness of the room. "Prime here."
:They took out Kup's engines. We have a situation: he said.
"Understood," Prime said, then glanced at Prowl. "How long until rescue arrives?"
"Not soon enough," Prowl said grimly.
"Prime to Tennyson."
:Tennyson, Prime:
"Tennyson, can you transport fighters to assist the shuttles breaking to come back. Do you see them?"
It was silent a second, then Tennyson's deep mature voice was back. :I see them. I will send drone fighters to assist. Standby: he said.
Prime watched the screen, then almost on top of the two shuttles which were being harried to annihilation by the aliens, four fighters of Autobot designation appeared out of nowhere. They flew forward shooting at the enemy who turned to run. The four fighters followed and one-by-one, the fleeing enemy ships were destroyed by the drones.
Slowing to a stop, Hercy's shuttle came along side Kup's vessel. A hatch opened, then mechs stepped out or were handed over. When the last mech was out, Hercy's overloaded shuttle flew onward followed by three of the drones. One stayed long enough to destroy Kup's vessel, then flew onward to join the rescued group.
-0-Prime and Co.
It was a lighter atmosphere on the bridge as the ships began to move back toward the base camp. Prime felt better as he contacted Tennyson. "Prime to Tennyson."
:Tennyson here:
"Thank you, old friend."
:It is my honor and function to serve you, Prime. I am yours to command. I destroyed the fighters remotely. The drones will accompany them back to your group:
The soldiers in the box grinned. Harris looked at them inquiringly. :Tennyson blew them up with remote drone fighters. Think World of Warcraft. Never play videos games with the bots: he said with a chuckle.
"Thank you, Tennyson. Prime out." He sat back feeling a bit better as the images on the forward screen indicated that the enemy was falling back. He glanced at Prowl. "Status report?"
"In a moment, sir," Prowl said as he feverishly worked to compile raw data pouring in. After a second, he turned toward Prime. "We have four battle shuttles destroyed, a cruiser with moderate damage, a battle ship with moderate damage, two shuttles from that group with enough damage to return for repairs and the loss of four fighters. The pilots ejected before they blew up but they were injured, two severely. They are unlikely to be active duty soldiers again."
Prime nodded. "No deaths?"
"Not among us," Prowl replied. "We're more durable, it would appear, than our enemies."
"Very good," Prime said. "Open a channel, Blaster."
A pause, then Blaster commented. "You're open, Prime."
"This is Optimus Prime. You sent your allies against us but it was not our first time dealing with them. They have never had much luck in combat with us and nothing has changed this time. I am repeating my request. Give us our doctor and the colonists, then we leave."
A text message came back almost instantly. "Let me think about it, Prime." Then it ended.
"Fragger," Hard Drive said as he sat with Lebus at Navigation. Lebus nodded in agreement.
"We need to know what is happening there. I want to have every soldier in our faction that has the experience and nerve to go behind the lines for a special mission. I want every soldier of experience that has a special feature of invisibility. How many is that? Only the most seasoned warriors, Prowl," Prime said.
Prowl worked a moment, then looked up. "Three fit your criteria. Mirage, a former Decepticon named Hal and a Wrecker named Pardon."
"Call them here. Prime to Tennyson."
:Tennyson here, Prime:
"I require your presence, Commander," Prime replied.
:On my way. Tennyson out:
Almost instantly, a figure began to materialize on the deck. The tall brilliantly white figure of Tennyson stood before them, accents of blue and red giving him an air of handsomeness that was common to his frame. He bowed his helm. "Command me, Prime."
Prime returned the nod. "I need you to transport three soldiers into the settlements beyond, then retrieve them. I need to know what we're facing, Tennyson."
"Of course," he replied. He towered over everyone at more than 43 feet, a perfectly proportioned mech of outstanding quality. "I will be ready when you command."
Prowl rose, then turned to him. "Come with me, Tennyson," he said. The two walked to the elevator, then disappeared.
:Ironhide to Prime:
"Prime here."
:We have all the monsters that sensors detect are there. All of them are dead. There is some cosmetic damage to different areas of the ships they were dumped in and the odd burn but we believe we got them all:
"Very good," Prime said. "Is everyone alerted and everything locked down?"
:Affirmative: Ironhide replied.
"Good. Come back. I want you to run some spies for me," Prime said as he mused on the mission developing down below decks. As he did, the overloaded shuttle and the four drones arrived at his vessel.
-0-At the flight deck of Salton Sea
The shuttle lumbered in, then slid sideways to off load its crews. The drones having completed their mission were recalled and disappeared. Hercy who jumped onto the hangar deck watched them go, then turned to help the wounded off. Four would need stretchers and the rest would limp grudgingly to med bay. It would be especially poignant because Ratchet wouldn't be there to help them. Hercy and Kup watched them go, then with Lon, Bezel, the twins, and Smokey in tow walked to the elevator to go to the bridge.
As they did, the three mechs with an invisibility special function would be walking out of the bridge room to go there too. Mirage, Jazz and the other two mechs would miss the bots by seconds.
-0-Bridge, Salton Sea
"The fraggers have upped their game, Prime," Kup said as Springer walked from the elevator with Jazz, Mirage and two other big mechs. He was limping, was pitted and completely composed in the way that those who want to kill someone are before doing it. They gathered around Prime.
"What's the word on Ratchet?" Springer asked.
"Nothing yet," Hard Drive said as he looked over his grandson. "You look like slag. How's Drift?"
"He's got a busted optic and a hole in his leg. Fraggers came out to play," Springer said with a rueful grin. "They paid for it."
Everyone nodded including the silent pensive kids standing around Kup. Lon, Bezel and Smokey were listening with expressions of worship and true belief.
"What's the plan?" Sunstreaker asked. "And how do I get a piece of it?"
"Did you brief them, Jazz?" Prime asked.
Jazz nodded. "I did. I also have a possibility over Tennyson. He can be traced and given that the acid beasts runners have what appears to be Cybertronian-influenced tech, you might want to hear me out just in case they have that part figured out too. What I propose can't be noticed by any tech thus far that we have or know about. We have a ship prepped to take us in. We have a test going on using Pretender equipment heavily power boosted to cloak small ships for just this sort of mission. We can't use it for personnel as personal cloaking devices yet because the power load required glitches some of our functions. It does, however, work to the degree we'll need to fly us in under their radar and come out again." Jazz glanced at the three with a grin. "It's going to be a cramped ride. We're using only small runabouts, the kind used by the schools to transport small loads here and there around the district. Bigger vessels are in the planning stages."
"What is the degree of foolproof for this, Jazz?" Prowl asked. Soundwave was standing next to him along with Lebus and Shackle. For a moment, it seemed a normal sight to everyone there.
"It checks out. They have one of these vessels hooked up to run at maximum flight mode with the device attached. It's been running now for three decaorns or there abouts nonstop without glitches. Of course, one of the reasons its going to be so cramped is because it requires big power cells. We aren't at the miniaturization and modification point yet." Jazz glanced at the others, then Prime. "We're going to begin refining it when its fully understood but for this matter, its good to go. Tennyson can be backup if something glitches."
Prime glanced at Prowl and an interested Tennyson who had returned with data for the mission and the maps necessary to pinpoint a drop. "What do you think, Tennyson?"
"If they have Cybertronian tech and influences, then my particle trail might be detected. That's one of the things that make pirates find us, using the sensors of our science. I could, indeed, be their backup and if they wear locators, then I will be able to find them no matter where they are."
"Very well," Prime said. "Then all of us will support the mission this way. Prowl? Do you have the data they need?"
Prowl who had returned with Tennyson in tow nodded, then handed Jazz a datapad containing all the relevant information the group could use. "I need you to go to each of the three settlements and get a lay of the land, find out what the enemy is doing … find out who the slaggers are if you can, then get back. No funny stuff. No heroics. 120,000 civilians and Ratchet depend upon you doing the right thing. Understand?"
The group nodded. "We know, Prowl," Mirage said.
"We need this information as soon as possible, gentlemen. Be careful and come back alive," Prime said.
"Count on it, Prime," Jazz replied, then the four turned to go to the elevator and a small cramped ship waiting for them just outside the hangar door. They would squeeze in, activate the mechanism and disappear from view. They wouldn't be detected again until they came back.
-0-In a corner of the command deck resting a moment
"How do you feel?"
Bezel looked at Lon. "Weird but exhilarated."
Lon nodded. "This wasn't my first fight but it still takes a bit of time to get used to."
Bezel nodded. "My father would be aghast at me doing this."
"Are you?" Lon asked as they both rose to follow the others to a rec room and some food.
Bezel took Lon's servo into his own. "No," he said simply.
They entered the elevator and disappeared into the ship.
-0-TBC 8-20-17 edited 8-23-17