The Diego Diaries: War and Aftermath (dd6 359)
-0-Out there
The hatch slid slowly as the Autobots entered with their big, big guns pointed. It was dark inside, then it wasn't. Shooting erupted from two directions with the bots trapped in the middle. They climbed over each other to go back outside, then regroup. :SLAGGERS! YOU STEPPED ON MY FACE CLIMBING OUT!:
Everyone glanced at Splice who was fuming. Sunstreaker grinned. :Then you're saying nothing important was harmed in the retreat?:
HUGE slag was traded, then Springer nodded to the Seekers laughing on the roof. They spread out, some walking to the underside to fire upward and some spacing themselves on the top to fire downward. Then it began. A fusillade of a heavy caliber began to rip the slag out of the wreckage of the ship. After a few seconds it stopped, then everyone began to scan. It was inconclusive.
:Springer to Prime:
:Prime here:
:Can you scan this sieve and tell us if anyone in there is worth bagging up?:
:Stand by: It was quiet a moment, then Prime was back with a slight trace of amusement in his voice. :They all went to the starboard armory of the ship, the side directly across from your current position:
:Thanks, Dad. We're on it: Springer said with a grin. :They put themselves into an armory. Slaggers want us to skin them. Meet me on the other side of this heap: he said before everyone scurried off leaving him alone with Drift. He frowned. Drift laughed. They scurried off to join the rest.
-0-The City, Hangar District
The hazmat teams were working hard to clean up the area before Public Works could come forward to fix the holes, skid marks and other broken access points. It would have to be at least smoothed to allow trucks to come forward to transport stuff needed to fix all the damaged buildings. The Courthouse was being scanned from space by Teletraan and one of its little satellites. The other buildings would be as well to find out how much damage was caused by the impact of that much ship going that fast and that out of control.
Big curious crowds were being held back by barriers and the odd Watch officer placed there on duty. Trucks were at the ready in lines nearby to come in and be loaded by heavy equipment which would clear up the broken stone and steel that would have to be replaced. They would be able to work out a plan when the final scans were made and the data analyzed. Even the smallest crack or shift from plumb would have to be accounted for if the buildings were to be made safe, beautiful and structurally sound again.
Barron had arrived earlier with several judges who were having a luncheon in Terra when this happened. They huddled with other lawyers, paralegals, office workers, more judges, magistrates, off duty jail officers and clerks, officials of this and that department, the parole officers that did their duty here as well as roving to check on their clientele, medics who worked here, civilian employees, and all the others that took care of law on world. Dotting the pitted sidewalk that led to the damaged building, they spoke in hushed tones. To the left of them were the battered Museum galleries, a clipped IntraComm and the professional building that had finally stopped Omega's wild landing.
Outside of The Pit Stop, the clientele that had been there and the staff, owners and cooks watched the disaster around them. They had been lucky. A few bits of shrapnel had bounced off the building but left no mark or damage. Some of the administration buildings and a few private firms took it on the chin and would have to have a lot of work to return to their former glory.
The ditches were being drained of fuel and the liquid used to clean Omega so they could assess him. Tankers were running in, taking a load, then running onward to the fuel terminal at Industrial Park City #7 for denaturing and incineration. There were heavy bulldozers pushing various piles of rubble into bigger ones to be examined and hauled off for refurbishing or recycling. Dozens of professionals were digging through the buildings bashed looking for things that needed pulled, turned off, retrieved if possible, or shored up.
It was noisy, busy like an ant hill and looked like it would take a long time and energy.
A number of prisoners at the jail had been transferred to the prison to be kept in segregated confinement from the general population so they could be safe. There would have to be another place where they could hold trials and do other business until they could return to the Courthouse but no one had a clue when that would be. Trucks came and went while reporters for print and television crawled everywhere. It would be busy night and day for a long time.
-0-Out there
They crept along the hull heading toward the heavily armored sector of the ship that had rolled over and presented its thick plated defiance. Searching its somewhat bowed plating, Drift walked back to Springer. :I think if you shoot it you better duck because its coming straight back at you:
:Well, that's … helpful: Springer said with a frown. :Anyone got a torch?:
Two Seekers did so they walked to the corner of the section where it joined the regular hull and began to cut. It went quickly and when the sector fell inside, they jumped in. Shooting commenced and then it was silent. Springer walked over to look downward. :Caster? You there?:
It was silent a moment, then a helm poked up with a grin. :I'm fine but they aren't. Do you have a shovel handy?:
No one did but the hospital ship would take them in and begin to piece them back together like a ventilated jigsaw puzzle. One ship down, several more to go.
-0-Ratchet
They came in, damaged, blown up, raving or silent, then were directed to the various different areas on board for repairs. Some walked in, silent or violent, then went their various directions to receive assistance, some for the first time in ages from the look of them. Ratchet supervised in a general manner but for most of the duration he was in surgery.
-0-Ironhide
They flew over the ocean heading oddly enough toward the Indian Ocean. The sounders would tell them where they were in their underwater flight plan generally, but they were flying swiftly onward, almost as stranded themselves as Ironhide felt. They were being tracked on sensors and radar all over the earth as the humans worked to clue themselves into the problem.
Around the world, the news was reporting what they felt was needed in terms of what their countries were going to do for their own security, then they focused on the situation itself. More Decepticons were on the planet and they were all in danger, or so it seemed. Some reporters actually fanned that idea into a small blaze in different places. The MCA stuck to the facts and led the coverage given their straight line access to Autobot Nation.
Shannon Murphy, their mid afternoon reporter gave the latest briefing while moderating a panel of experts to discuss the news. "What we know so far is pursuit is being made toward the Indian Ocean in the general direction of Diego Garcia. Their information officer has stated that the base is on DEFCON 2 and is currently deploying the fleet that's there so they won't become sitting duck targets if they swing off trajectory and make landfall. Those assets are not involved in the search though they are lending their capabilities toward the effort. The Office of Information for Autobot Nation has stated that Commander Ironhide of Praxus is leading a veteran team in pursuit of the intruders, tracking them with advanced technology to find and detain them before they make landfall anywhere.
"As for the battle in space, the Office of Information through Commander Jazz of Kaon stated that a large fleet was encountered space jumping this direction some 100,000 light years near the leading edge of the Bootes Constellation in an area charted as The Barren. They were making their way toward one of two quarantined groups in this, the local cluster where Decepticon Razorclaw and Decepticon Ominous have dug in with their respective groups. Optimus Prime has kept a number of groups from joining either in the past to augment their capabilities and did so now with this confrontation.
"Optimus Prime met them with overwhelming force at their staging area more than 95,000 light years from this system and told them to turn away and go or there would be a confrontation. He made it very clear that they were not going to be allowed in the system or to join Razorclaw or Ominous. It was then that combat began and it was a brutal fight in relatively close quarters. The Supreme mechanism, Omega, was disabled and seriously injured when a large piece of shrapnel, a breakaway engine from a battleship flew into him and caused him to withdraw. During his attempt to land, he crashed and rolled out of control damaging several large buildings at Autobot City on Mars before coming to a halt. We've been told that he's in serious but stable condition with the prospect of full recovery, though it will take some time.
"A number of wounded have been incurred by the Autobots including two Seekers who were killed in the melee. An unknown number of the enemy forces were killed or wounded with their leader, Shrike, still missing. They're being rounded up, some in ship boarding combat but will be brought to the Autobot City Civilian and Military Prison for incarceration."
A panelist reporter for the MCA, David Collier hesitated a moment to listen. Then he glanced at Shannon who was standing nearby beside a board where the star map in simplified form was displaying in blinking lights the situation in the Bootes and the system here. "It has just been reported to me that the sonar devices that are allowing Commander Ironhide's group to track the Decepticons indicate that they are heading toward the general direction of Diego Garcia. It's unknown if they know that the Autobots have an Embassy and presence there or if they're heading for the first island they can find. No one believes that they have a clear view of our planet or are heading toward that cluster of islands in their line of flight. The Commander is in hot pursuit."
-0-Hot Pursuit, Inc.
"Fraggers," Ironhide muttered as he called in to the base. "Ironhide to Diego."
"Diego here, Ironhide. What's the word and how many do you need?" the voice replied. It was Tracks.
"What's the status of the base? We don't know if they know you're there. They've never been here but I don't want the fleet or base to not try moving," Ironhide said.
"The ships around here are leaving and heading northeast to be out of the line of fire. Know that the Navy of several countries are and I quote 'pissed' to have to do so. Fulton is here and he's putting the base on alert to fight. The civilians and other drags on our efficiency are going into the shelters and everyone is waiting. What's the chance they come our way and how do you want us to get them?" Tracks asked.
Everyone in the room including a number of humans were listening to the conversation.
"Be standby. If they come that way let me know. I want these slaggers in the bag before sundown," Ironhide said.
"Got ya," Tracks said. "Diego out." He sat back, then grinned at the others who were listening. "We may or not get them but don't get too comfortable. Something tells me its going to take more than them to bring these fraggers to heel."
No one argued with him.
-0-TBC 5-18-18 edited 7-5-18