The Diego Diaries: Aftermath of War (dd6 367)
Nothing like going into the wilderness to camp (in RVs). Onward ho!
-0-Around
"Did you watch Prime last night?"
"I did. Fragged, this whole thing. We lost our guys."
"I know. Have you ever heard of Shrike? Pass me that router."
"No." (Passes big machine hand tool to partner in the machine shop) "I hope I don't again unless its to read his obituary. That's one funeral I'm up for."
"I hear ya."
-0-On the subway to work
Ultra Magnus stared at the screen in his servo that held a datapad with every publication of consequence both on world here, Cybertron and Earth. He stared at it but he wasn't reading. He was standing by himself at the end of the car listening to the passengers talk. Everyone was pissed and relieved. Everyone was furious that this had happened and their side had lost people. It was what he expected it to be and when the train pulled into Metro Station #1, he followed them out of the car and into the daylight as they climbed the stairs to the street.
-0-Earth, a news program heavily watched
"Good morning. Last night after a battle nearly 100,000 light years from Earth, Optimus Prime and his armada turned back an invading force led by a criminal and Decepticon leader by the name of Shrike. He was engaged in battle, lost heavily among his forces, then fled into the Bootes Constellation. There was heavy casualties on both sides. One of the major ships, Omega Supreme, crash landed returning wounded from battle and half destroyed the Hangar District at the Military Airfield in the Old City of Autobot City.
"There were casualties among the Autobots and a 30 day period of mourning has been called by Prime. Flags and other symbols of their culture are at half staff, preparations are being made for a memorial service and there will be plaques placed in the Primal Basilica for them and at the Temple of Primus. It was said that nearly 500 prisoners have been taken and the casualty list for the Decepticon invaders is still unknown.
"Last night in general broadcast to Cybertron, Earth, Mars and other unnamed places, the Prime spoke to the people. He discussed the history of Megatron's incarceration here on Earth, how he functions in regard to personal insult, and how he will not leave until he feels personally avenged. He also discussed the enormity of the situation facing his government and people given the relief effort on Cybertron and the attention paid to protecting every part of this solar system including Earth.
"Prime then detailed a bit of the battle, how Omega became hurt and had to be pulled from the battle order, as well as the four small ships that followed Omega through the space bridge during the chaos. They are being tracked here on Earth by Commander Ironhide of Praxus. I have asked Ambassador Ratchet of Iacon to speak to us about this matter and to give us any updates on the problem of the four intruders. Ambassador, are you there?" Neil Cummings asked as he turned to the big screen behind him as Ratchet appeared, broadcasting from Prime's set at IntraCom.
"I'm here, Mr. Cummings. Good morning to you and good morning Earth," Ratchet said with a slight grin.
"Good morning, Mr. Ambassador. Welcome. I understand that you went out with Prime and the fleet. We saw you helping off load the wounded when you returned," Cummings said.
Ratchet nodded. "I go with the fleet to run the medical end of things. I'm also usually the only doctor in the group that's rated to fight in combat, so I rather go along as well to protect my doctors and other medical workers. We put together a versatile fleet, then bridge jumped to the site where we met them. It was only a short period after that we had the clash."
"Did you talk to him? What is he like and what did he say to your overtures to leave?" Cummings asked as a panel with him listened solemnly.
"We did. He isn't the talking kind. He was a very dangerous criminal who had political connections on Cybertron so he never had to worry about consequences. You probably can relate to that because its a problem with you and your countries on Earth. When you do terrible things and there's no accountability, then you get worse. It never stops. You just keep going and get more and more grandiose and careless. That mech forgot who Optimus Prime was and he learned it. He limped off into the Bootes and left half his fleet behind. We destroyed them and took the survivors. He laughed at our request to leave. He had his chance but when you're the king of the world, no one can tell you anything. That works in our favor every time.
"As for what he's like … he's a stone cold killer. He has no empathy nor compassion. He would go to Earth and kill for fun, then take anything of value and sell it elsewhere. He was bad before the war and he hasn't gotten better."
"There has been a number of these groups, Mr. Ambassador. Can you tell us more about this phenomenon and what we can expect to see?" Cummings asked.
"Megatron runs his forces with an iron fist. He brooks no failure. He's changed a lot, becoming even more ruthless and merciless. Even though there's a group running the faction while he's off doing whatever he's doing, there is still volatility and instability in the group. Some, a small number, have broken off to do what they want, nearly all of them led by renegade civilian criminals. They gather to become larger, then look for the best place to settle. Word is out that this system has energon. It also has a couple of very tough, smart and organized battle groups. You underestimate Razorclaw or Ominous to your peril."
"What can you tell us about the two and their groups? What is their size and force? Why are they still here inside the ring of Prime's defense?" Cummings asked.
A brief pause as Prime weighed in, then Ratchet glanced at the group on his screen. "Razorclaw is the brains and focus of the most perfect combiner ever created. Predaking is a terrifying figure and a phase six level phenomenon. He's unlike any other combiner in that his group has the usual defective members who hate each other, but they come together to create the most perfect example of this kind of war machine ever made. And make no mistake. Predaking is a war machine. Razorclaw understands the balance of power here. He knows even with Ominous he can't defeat us. So both of them wait for the free agents to stop by, to work out augmenting their groups to make their move. We figure they could divide us by taking on Cybertron and Mars at the same time, thereby dividing our forces. So, we work long and hard to monitor what they have, prevent anyone else from adding to it and being ready to slag them to The Pit if they decide to be stupid. Unfortunately for everyone, neither mech is stupid.
"As for their size and strength … that information is classified. Just know that we have them over matched, outgunned and hemmed in. No one can reach them. Our forces are deployed to listen, watch and alert us for intercept. That's how we detected this group. They are many, hardcore and dangerous. But we are many-er. If that's a word," Ratchet said with a grin. "As for the slaggers on Earth … the Prime informed me this morning that the four have left Earth and made it to Razorclaw. They did so through stealth, a tech innovation very close to several we have ourselves. As Optimus said, we're working out counter measures so it doesn't happen again. Earth is free of them as of 0300 hours on the TMC last night Martian Standard Time."
"They have cloaking and bridge capacity. Could they use it to reach both worlds? We know they used it to get to Earth," Cummings said.
Ratchet nodded. "They did, the slaggers. They have limited bridging capabilities. Without the kind of energon that can be found here, they can't jump like we can. We go from point to point. They leap frog. That alerts us to their presence. Bridging is Autobot tech. We have the best bridge scientists living on Mars, some who developed it back in the day and they can figure it all out. They will. They always have. Understand. The cloaking devices that they have drain their energy and have limited scope. They have to power down periodically to recharge the devices so they can only go so far at a time before they become visible and thereby, blast-able."
"Mr. Ambassador, there is a great deal of concern in capitols all over the world that some of them reached Earth. What sort of assurances can you give to us that will make us feel less vulnerable?" a military analyst asked.
Ratchet looked at him, then sat forward to lean on his elbows. "How about the idea that we would have caught them and prevented them from making landfall? Consider what it would be like if they had landed? They didn't. They never were able to leave the ocean because they knew we were there gunning for them. They had to take a chance to flee, the security is so tight. We work with immense precision to keep this simple and clear. We give you excellent highly capable professionalism. Some of you think we should be able to give you relentless perfection. We give you our word that we work around the clock to prevent such things. Given that we are now eleven years into the relationship and Earth has been saved from invading fleets, marauding flight groups, abandoned Decepticons, space debris from the Oort Cloud, and Razorclaw, its a tremendous achievement that this is such a rare event."
"But they got through," the analyst, a civilian persisted.
"We're going to be burying some of our people soon. We did our part. We get nearly all of them but its a bit much to expect that we can get all of them," Ratchet said. "I can't give you assurances that guarantee that we'll get them all. We will get them, nearly all of them, nearly all the time. Those who slip through will have us on their tails immediately following."
"You are aware of Stanford Watson who runs a nativist organization that has connections all over the world. He finances it along with his colleagues, a board of individuals who are a veritable who's who of industrial finance. What do you say to his remarks?" another asked, a war correspondent to the network.
"You mean the rich kid who bought his way out of the draft when it was time to step up for his war but hasn't met a war now that he didn't want to lick? That guy?" Ratchet asked.
"I wouldn't have put it that way," Cummings said with a grin.
"Well, that's why I'm the diplomat and you aren't. Wait ..." Ratchet grinned. "Let me say that if they want to talk to Razorclaw or Ominous and appeal to their reason, I will personally fly them out to try. Until then, you're not a credible individual to me, Mr. Watson." Ratchet glanced at the others. "Funny how many of the opposition never served. Funny how many of them want to wage war with everyone everywhere now. Nothing like armchair generals to make this old soldier's spark go pitty-pat. We have done our part. If the human dissenters can do better, go to it."
The conversation would continue for some time.
-0-TBC 5-27-18 Edited 5-28-18 (I heart you, Dorothy, my dearest friend on your day)