The Diego Diaries: Avalone and the Others (dd8 269)
=0=Out there
It was dark everywhere they looked but toward the sky where the pinpoints of light in the velvet that never changed could be seen. Stars filled the sky as far as they could look, an almost smear of white without the atmosphere to obscure so much. It was bitter cold in this, the very near vacuum of space. A light filter of 'atmosphere' still hung around the planet, a remnant of perhaps better times.
Rocks covered the ground as well as inventoried bits and pieces of Avalone were tagged with numbers to help piece them into his overall format again. Nothing would be left behind, not the smallest scrap and anything that looked like fluids or fuel when he was lifted off here would be ignored. It would be torched or dug up if burning was impossible.
Ships hovered overhead, some with umbilicals dropped to feed the huge wreck the first energy it had in some time. How long it was no one knew yet. A forensic data team was working to restore his database as Ratchet and his titan doctors worked to bring him up just far enough to ascertain what had happened to him.
As the forensics team put more tags on parts, photographed them for the record and prepared to move into another area with them including the foot and cart prints, a heavy gunner squad of Seekers with deep sensor specialist amongst them rose up into the air and jetted off to find the interlopers who had cannibalized the big mech.
=0=On their way
They flew in an arrow formation with the sensor mechs in the middle while the heavy gunners flew around them. Red Wing led them as they began a huge arc around the general area with sensors wide open. It didn't take long to find traces of a ship that was conventional and Cybertronian.
It had flown to a ragged collection of large rocky particles where they dead ended somewhere in the middle. No one seemed to notice them as they flew toward it, then banged it back to the armada which was in station around a small planet they all called Avalone.
=0=Prowl
He received the data, then sent it to Analytics before tackling it himself. It was a large mapping sweep of the area around them which showed a ship had been traveling back and forth from Avalone's location to one not that far away. It didn't appear to go anywhere else but dead ended at that site. He noted it on the bigger maps and saw that it was a nicely jumbled area that would scatter signals and make them hard to find given the heavier and denser metals found there. He glanced at Prime. "We do believe we found the pirates."
Prime glanced up, then over at the data pad and maps. He studied them, then rose. "I want to see this for myself. Call up a requisite group and have Ironhide and Sun join me, Prowl. We will be right back."
Prowl watched him go, then thought 'you better' before setting himself to the task of building a suitable armada for pirates that involved the presence of a Prime.
It would be hard core.
=0=On the way
Prime sat next to the pilot in his shuttle, the City of Acroplex. A crew of hard bitten soldiers along with Ironhide and Sun were sitting with him. He considered the situation before them, then glanced at Sun. "I want this den of thieves cleared out of here, Sun, and everything that they might still have captured. If we can take them alive as well, the more the better."
Sun nodded. "We don't need two fronts, Optimus, while we're here. So far, so good with the 'Cons."
Prime nodded. "It will do to keep that way."
They flew onward into the night toward a planet with pirates while two Supreme mechanisms flew a round about pattern to reach the same spot mirrored by one more flying from the other direction. All of them would box in whoever it was from any possibility of escape.
=0=At Home
Chan sat with Tell in his arms, smiling at the baby smiling at him. "What a fine little mech you are," he was saying as he fed the infant his specialized baby energon geared to supporting his medical condition. "Eating like a little trooper."
"He is. By the way, Trooper and Scout want the little ones for the next two orns. They'll get them to and from school and keep them overnight. I think that's pretty wonderful," Docker said. "That will give Orion, Praxus, Halo, Hero and Prowler some structure."
"Maybe it won't take that long. No one told me what they're doing. We can keep Tell with us and Ravie and Tie can take him to the store. If the girls need to stay with us and the boys with Trooper and Scout, that might be a help as well. What is your legislative schedule, Docker?" Appa Ratchet asked.
"I have office joors for constituent business but no hearings or votes for the next orn or so. Everyone is gearing up for the discussion over the expansion of the housing sites north. We expect a lively debate. I also have to hire an officer manager and case worker for the constituents. I have someone in mind but I have to ask them."
"I plan to be there to see some of it," Appa Ratchet said. "My little femme is sitting there in the front row listening to make decisions. Its a dream come true."
Docker kissed him, then grinned. "Isn't it though? Grandchildren, a nice life and a chance to help build the new world. I'm so happy here."
"We all are, Docker," Corr said as he walked out with a baby bag. "I have his little hangar suit. Those two boys take such good care of him."
"We have a lot of good fathers in our family, I agree," Chan said as he wiped Tell's little chin. "We better get him geared up and take him to the Center. We need to know how our little baby is doing."
They would gear him up, put him in his little carrier, then head out to face the world once more.
=0=Meanwhile, back at the showdown
They flew in scanning hard and noted that a ship was rising to leave in haste. Two shuttles flew out of the group with guns pointing toward the projected flight line of the vessel. It would be a foot race to head it off. If they missed it, Xantium was waiting and he was spoiling for a fight.
=0=Prime
He watched as the suspected spot for a base appeared closer when a ship arose and powered up to leave swiftly. Shots fired and hit the ship in the engines causing it to sputter and flame out. It then began to fall back to the surface of the planet. "Catch that ship."
=0-Ratchet
They'd crawled through miles of tubes, rooms, smashed areas and those untouched as they traced the main energon conduits to get the ship back on an energy plan. They were relatively intact though several of the larger ones buckled and were being replaced with emergency inserts which would be slid in, then welded so they wouldn't leak.
Ratchet hurried back to the command deck, then watched with concern as one by one the lights signaling compliance came on. Overhead, ships were lined up and the lines were dropped to attach to the ports where millions of gallons of food grade energon geared to huge frames would begin to flood Avalone's body.
"I wish they'd hurry faster," a youngling doctor said, one who was learning to be a big frame doctor.
"You and me, Mayon." Ratchet glanced at the pensive kid waiting with a handful of unassigned doctors in the command center.
Everyone else was in the vast ship fixing designated things to being him about. When the energon was flowing then a 'battery' ship would arrive, huge cables would be attached to three major nodes, then the titan equivalent of a defibrillator would jump start him back to life.
Hopefully.
All they needed now was the last three lights of the check over to come on. It seemed forever before they did, then Ratchet slapped the comm button on the console. "Let it flow."
At that moment, millions of gallons of energon would begin to be brought forward to not only fill the lines but keep them full while below decks the engines that powered the entire being were being retooled, cleaned, parts replaced and other work to bring the big mech to come small ability to move.
It would be impossible to move him without minor assists from Avalone.
=0=There, nearby
Tractor beams flashed out as Xantium gripped the falling ship. It wasn't too big so he gripped it tightly. As he did, Prime contacted him.
:Xantium, this is Optimus Prime. Being the ship back to the fleet and put it in the middle of the shuttle group. Hold it until I tell you to release. Acknowledge:
Xantium who stood on his own command deck glanced at the others, titans all who were with him. "Acknowledged. When you give me the word I'll crush him like a bug. Xantium, over."
"You'll have to stand in line," Hammer of Primus said.
Two of the mechs with him nodded as well. They were leaders of wolf packs before their arrival back into the fold and killing pirates was their life's blood.
The pirates would never know how lucky they were that Optimus Prime was in charge.
=0=TBC 10-06-2021 edited 10-28-2021
Shorty tonight because of a thing. More tomorrow. :D:D:D
Misty Legionnaire chapter 268 . 11h ago
Sneaky of a pirate/scavenger to be operating in this area.
Looking forward to the next chapter and what else they find.
Have a wonderful day ahead.
ME: Rats always find prey. (I love rats by the way) :D More to come and you have a great and fun day ahead as well, my darling. :D:D:D
sirius ordo chapter 267 . 13h ago
Oh man! Caught up again! Ugh. I have to find out what happens to Avalone and I have to wait. Noooooo…LOL. It's great as always. Love the story and great job.
ME!: BWAHAHAHA! Welcome back into the front of this thing. :D:D Avalone has to be figured out. Love you so much. Hugs, honey. :D:D