The Diego Diaries: War (dd6 350)
-0-IntraComm
"My name is Optimus Prime and I am here tonight to inform you about a mission that we are undertaking to prevent entrance into our sphere of influence of a rogue Decepticon group led by a mech who goes by the name of Shrike. He is someone known to us and is a very grave danger to all of whom he comes into contact. We have decided to meet him far away from here rather than allow him to come into range of the two quarantined rogue groups who are here already.
"Razorclaw and his battle group lie, as you know, near Epsilon Eridani while the newest intruder, Ominous and his group have taken up camp near Tau Ceti and our outlier colony of Caminus. Both stars are well within bridge range and even ship travel for us but far enough away that if we have to take action, it will not harm anyone here. Right now, we are planning to intercept Shrike and his group at a distance of 100,000 light years from here. Given the distance, it would be problematic for him to reach Mars, Earth or Cybertron even with the limited bridging capabilities it appears he possesses through the operation we have designed to meet this threat.
"Our battle group is composed of veterans of great experience led by our most senior commanders. All of the individuals leaving are ready and able to bring this invader to a conclusion of our choosing and we will be standing out in one joor. I am aware as we do that there are families who are concerned and lives that have been disrupted. Understand, we do not waste our people. We have designed and will carry forward an overwhelming force which we will bring to bear on them no matter their decision to leave or fight. It is not what we seek but sometimes fate delivers to you what you least expect or want. We have our oath to Cybertron, Earth and Mars. We have our oath to all who we protect and we aim to carry it out.
"We will be giving information to you as it warrants telling. We ask you to keep the faith and know you are protected. We will do all that we can and all that is possible to do so. Sometimes, there is no other choice on the table." He stared at the camera, then nodded. "Until all are one." The camera cut to the Emblems of the Primes as the statement concluded.
-0-Out on the airfield
They gathered, several hundred humans, some in the viewing stand and others along the edge of the field. Protecting them against the odd possibility, two Night Watchmen were there as per orders from Springer. In a cleared space now that ships were moving, hundreds of Seekers began to gather. Their impressive chieftains had already landed and were standing in a growing circle of Seekers, families, youth, children in arms, and the warriors themselves. As they gathered, a stamping sound could be heard to build from where they were, a steady slow drum sound. The humans turned to watch as the Seekers began to move in unison.
A stamp of peds, a slow drumbeat of sound echoed loudly enough that the humans could hear it. The tremor of peds stamping in unison could be felt underfoot. As more came, more joined in. A huge deep circle began to form around the Elders, Starscream, Red Cloud, Cloudburst, Rainmaker and his sons, and a number of flight commanders. As they stamped a slow regular drumbeat, they began to lean inward, then back outward. Back and forth, they swayed forward, then back. As they did, the circle began to step toward the right. Inward, outward, stomp, step. It began to gather until everyone everywhere was stilled to watch this strange dance.
In the middle, the leadership stood stock still, absorbing the energy that began to rise. The crowd moved in a slow circle swaying and stamping as they turned. Then voices began to rise, ululations of sound and cries of passionate defiance of their enemies. A roar rose upward as they moved, swaying and stamping, some twirling like dervishes as their emotions began to rise.
Harrier spun, then rose up, hanging in the air over the mass. She swung her silver staff, twirling it in her servo as she exhorted them to greater passion. The circle began to move faster, then it changed its dance. They swayed forward, then right, then left, then stepped two steps before repeating. It was obvious to those watching that some of them began to slip into a trance-like state as they did. Heat began to rise from that much massed power as children were held up by adults to watch their masters show their quality. Moving in almost a trance-like state themselves, most of the Elders were circling counter to the masses around them.
Warlord cried out and as he did he burst into flames. He drew his swords and began a flame filled kata before leaping upward to fly swiftly toward the heavens. Everyone watched as he seemed to stall out, then fall almost without thought toward the ground. Just before he was past the point of no return, he thundered overhead, flying back upward to the sky. Others who were overcome with emotion transformed to join him, the group flying closer than seemed possible as they roared overhead. They flew upward again, then down to land with their usual thunder before joining the dancing once more.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
The rhythmic sound of hundreds, maybe thousands of peds slamming down at the same time was hypnotic to those watching as well as participating. Singing burst into gales of sound along with roars of emotion and loyalty unto death for all concerned. Outbursts of fury, shouts of victory against the enemy greeted Rainmaker and Silverclaw as they whirled their staffs, dancing through a kata older than nearly everyone present. A roar of primordial power went up at the sight as The People watched the past join them here in this place of mustering.
It went on for what seemed forever, then it ended nearly as fast. The silence was almost unbearable as Rainmaker turned toward the airfield where Prime was standing near Omega watching the spectacle. Rainmaker smiled as the crowd parted nearest to Prime. He nodded to Prime, then went down on one knee. A gasp of astonishment went through the crowd as they stared at him, then Prime. Rainmaker bowed his helm, then stood. It was then that Optimus Prime returned the salute of equals to the Elder.
The roar seemed alive as it went up at the sight. Prime stood, then walked to Rainmaker to hold out his servo. He grasped it in the warrior manner. Grinning, Rainmaker glanced around. "We're ready to serve The People as it must be and should have been always."
"We are ready to fight by your side, Elder," Prime said.
Rainmaker grinned, then turned to the crowd. "TIME TO FLY! FOR CYBERTRON AND THE PEOPLE! FLY!" he cried out.
The ground shuddered as mechs leaped up, then roared off unto the sky. Flames and blow back engulfed the crowd but no one was injured as the group thinned itself of warriors who flew off to the cheers and ululations of the crowd. When they were gone, Rainmaker turned to the others. "Give witness to this orn. Today, the Army and Air Forces of Cybertron and Mars write a new page in the Book of Honor. I have spoken." Then with a nod, he and Prime walked toward Omega with the rest of his Seeker command and boarded.
Following them swiftly in N.E.S.T. vehicles, humans booked it to join them.
-0-On Omega
They rode in boxes to the place of attachment near the forward view ports and the giant monitors that told the story of their mission. Images of the space bridge lineup and other important information was on screen as just ahead through the view ports the sun began to fade and light poles and arrays began to automatically come on around the colony. The mechs carrying the three boxes slotted them into their ports which would support the humans inside and keep them from flying around during hard turns.
Glenn Morshower, his two aides, Mick Murphy and Tom Brennan along with John Fulton, Andrew Settle, Commander Martin Constable, commandant of the British contingent at Diego, Lilly Bolger-Settle, Owen Harris, Rick Harris, and Brandon Clark rounded out the first box. Next to them was Will Lennox, Bobby Epps, Niall Graham, Joe Bowers, Charlotte Mearing, and Seymour Simmons. The third box had a grab bag of individuals including Sam Witwicky, Ron and Judy Witwicky, Jessie Landon, James Brooks-Spencer, Gavin Pritchard, and Pierre Beliveau.
They were all allowed to come because some of them, those who were locals, were good for interviews of what happened and strong advocates of the alliances. The others were here to be assessed under pressure by the bots to see if they could be persuaded by the hard reality of life in the local group that the partnership of bots and humans was the only thing between them and the abyss.
Hope springs eternal.
They stood or sat in their containers glancing around at the command deck of the ship. Prowl was in conversation with Prime before heading out, satchel slung over shoulder while mechs were assuming positions all over the deck. Rem would be back up pilot as per the rules of Primal travel. He leaned forward over the conn to chat with the humans as others took up position. Then Prowl kissed Prime and walked toward the hatch where he disappeared.
Morshower watched the civilians and noted a startled glance between some of them at the affection between Prime and Prowl. He kept it to himself as he stood by the side of the container, leaning against it as the ship began to gather to go. Prime sat at the command seat while the command table was nearby with Alor, Delphi and Turbine together working on data as the giant datapad added it. Ironhide walked toward the boxes and sat down on one of the forward benches along the forward wall. He looked at the humans taking in who they all were. Then he nodded.
:Ironhide, what's the word now?: Lennox asked.
Every human turned toward him and stilled. He loomed over them like a mountain. His face was inscrutable but ultimately comically handsome. He had a scar over his right optic that was small but still visible. Ratchet had insisted that it be assuaged but not removed. "It gives you a devil-may-care sort of look," Ratchet had said. They had bantered about The Sexy as he fixed it. It had been funny. Now old mech was on another ship nearby and here he was, going out on his eleventy billionth battle with the same mechs. It seldom got better than this. "We have them at 96,000 light years from here. They can jump short distances by ship bridge. There's also the possibility that its not limited to just their bigger ships. They have smaller ships with capability because some of them are running alongside the battleships which means they can keep up. It would appear the slaggers have been innovating."
:What's the plan?: Owen Harris asked as he felt himself caught up in the excitement and professionalism all around him. Every time he came, he felt lifted out of his own sense of individuality and drawn into the solidarity of the moment and individuals. He wondered if this kind of thing, the adrenaline rush, the comradery that seemed immediate, and the sense of unity was part of the military life or he was just emotionally drawn to danger. After all, here he was going into war by request. One could make either point and it would probably apply to him.
:We go there, assess them, tell them to leave … if they don't, we blow them to slag." Ironhide stared at them with his bristling masculinity, his direct gaze and deep muddy voice. He was the real deal, the genuine article and everyone inside the boxes was dazzled by him. Praxian Elites always had that effect on others. It was part of their enormous arsenal for defending The People, their steely opticed integrity and fearlessness.
Intimidation lux.
That he was an all around slave to infants and a gangling old mech, that he was a son, grandson and great grandson who worshiped all his elders, that he was brother in all but one way to Optimus Prime, and a mech of considerable education and savoie affaire didn't really compute with the humans most of the time when the situation called for the Chaos Bringer. It disappeared in the shadows when faced with the devastation he could unleash if required.
He was a vast and complex individual, Our Ironhide.
:Oh: Owen Harris said with a slight grin. Everyone in the boxes laughed loudly.
Ironhide smirked, then glanced down the cabin. The ship was moving forward. It would be second to last to leave with Phobos bringing up the rear. When the line up was made at the Triggers, Omega, Xantium and the Wrecker shuttles would go first followed by the massed Seekers, then every other ship with Phobos last. The medical ship would be protected all the way.
They rolled along the runways which were closed to other traffic until this cleared, then began to pick up speed. Owen Harris watched Ironhide who was staring out the window again. :You've been at this a long time, Ironhide. What do you think about when you go into battle?:
Ironhide looked at him, considering the man asking and what he thought himself. "I think about Cybertron. I think about who's helpless and needs my protection and help. I think about my honor and that of my family. Then I think about kicking Decepticon aft. Sometimes, its not in that exact order."
Owen grinned. :You've done this a long time then:
Ironhide ran a short check of the databases for humans. :Your ancestors were running around as mice among the dinosaurs when this began on my planet. I've been in all the memorable fights," he said. He sat back. "I'm good at it by now."
The ship lifted off and they were in space almost immediately. A voice came over the intercom. "This is Miler-Navigator. You are cleared to go. Come back in one piece and may The One and the Pantheon bless your journey."
"Thank you, Miler-Navigator. We will aim to comply." Rem glanced at the conn. "You're cleared to go to the sled, Omega. All is in alignment."
"Understood: complying," Omega said over the intercom. They shifted, then slowed as he came into alignment with the sled that would lead to a blazing tornado of energy ahead. It was a slide to infinity and the energy generated cracked all around them.
:That's an artificial wormhole: Brandon Clark murmured. :That's beyond me:
"You don't have to understand it to know we have them and bring that much to the table. The 'Cons have them on their ships as well. That's how we have to go and take care of this. They can bridge into the solar system and even to Earth unless they're dealt with," Ironhide said as he leaned closer to the box with Owen Harris and Pierre Beliveau. "Imagine that … them bridging into Earth and you have to deal with it all alone. When you see their fleet, imagine fending that off by yourselves." He sat back, his stern appearing gaze fixed upon all of them. "You're welcome."
Lennox and the soldiers laughed long and hard as they flashed forward into the roiling maw of eternity and disappeared from this time and space into another one far away.
-0-TBC 5-8-18 edited 5-9-18