The Diego Diaries: Aftermath (dd8 301)

Haven't edited this yet so I hope it makes sense. Have a great weekend!

=0=Landing in Terra, Autobot City, Primal Colony of Mars

They landed in the intersection where a tall artificial tree was supposed to stand when Christmas surprise was upon them. The orn after Thanksgiving was when they were inserted into the special holes placed in the middle of the crossroads for display. Now it was uncertain what was to follow given all the circumstances of the moment.

Prime walked out of the ship along with Hard Drive, Raptor and Hercy. Other runabouts landed and the usual characters climbed out including Lon and Bezel who looked sick as they glanced around.

Down the street in a mashup of debris, scorched marks and other catastrophic impact outcomes was a shuttle that had crashed, bounced, then slammed into the lobby of Sparkling Day Public School #1. It was the glow up of their little school from Diego, the flagship school of the colony. Now it was in shambles and no one would be able to go there again until the structural engineers okayed it.

Mechs had come and removed the Decepticons, three badly wounded and one dead. They were in the hospitals around the colony, parted out so that no one place would be overburdened with security risks during this, a short handed period. The burned out shuttle would be removed when braces were placed to prevent further damage from accruing.

They stared at it, fathers of children who attended the beautiful warm place. Fathers of children who chose that place for their kids knowing it was a premier institution, now broken and despoiled. They mourned silently a moment, then walked forward. It was time to look at things, mop up the remaining slaggers, then work out a plan to move 240,000,000+ million individuals back to their homes.

At least, Prime thought to himself, they have a home to go to. He repressed that thought as he walked forward to hear what the mechs waiting for them had to say.

=0=Dinobot

Grimlock watched the last mech fall to the fury of his teammates. It was highly satisfying to go toe-to-toe with the Decepticons given the level of true blue hatred he felt for them. A trail of bent and broken, singed and full on burnt mechs lay on the ground behind them, all of them being rounded up by a company of Marines rushing out of The Fortress.

He glanced around, waved to his brothers, then the whole group ran down the street to join in the fighting that was still going on nearby. They would spend the next few joors tracking and kicking the slag out of the stragglers that remained. It was the best orn of their year thus far.

=0=Prima Station

They sat in the secured core that was a fall back shelter against all possible problems. The gigantic station was on automation. That meant that all lights that didn't need to be on were out. Any illumination that would allow an enemy to spot weaknesses, good targets or anyone on the massive astonishing device was extinguished to ensure that it wouldn't be a walk in the park to attack.

Mechs from the security guard station here were topside or down at the bottom of the station in the gun emplacements waiting for anyone who didn't signal correctly to come past. No one would enter this device easily and if they did it would be among the last things they ever did. The array of weaponry and its intensity with its laser guided systems of targeting was amazing.

Hanging in space next to the Midway Array platform, itself darkened, the 25,000 individual humans who lived on the station along with the 150 mechs who came everyday in shifts just to keep the security waited in their comfortable shelters for the all clear.

No one had a clue what was happening on Mars and wouldn't for some time. They wouldn't be allowed out until inspections were made complete. Even if they weren't attacked it didn't hurt to run diagnostics and blast the area with sensors for anyone hiding from them.

=0=MCA, The Late News with Linda Templeton

"Its been 17 hours since the last news from Mars was given. No one at the moment has any idea what's happening at Autobot City, any of the forward bases, our human habitats nor Prima Station. The last news that we received was that an enemy fleet had appeared, one that was being tracked and had begun to attack the colony.

"Just prior to their appearance in the vicinity of the planet Uranus the entire population of the colony totally over 245,000,000 plus Cybertronians, 1,100 Hu-Ans and over 100,000 humans in total had been sent to the shelters that exist under every building in the colony and in the Prima Station." She paused as a message was handed to her. Reading it, she turned to the cameras again. "We have new information which is very tentative at the moment. Its from the Office of Strategic Communications and I will read it to you.

"The Autobot Fleet led by Optimus Prime interdicted the Decepticon flight which bridged jumped into the solar system in the vicinity between Uranus and Neptune without warning early yesterday. It was at that moment that the broadcast to Earth was cut off for security reasons. It was feared that the enemy armada would be able to receive the broadcasts and use them to their advantage, thereby locating Earth and making that planet a target.

"The fleet engaged the enemy over Autobot City. All of the citizens both human and Cybertronian had been removed to shelter just before the fighting began. The full citizenry of the colony and Prima Station were able to make safety in the shelters without any problems or situations including the Resort of Autobot City.

"There was intense fighting by all forces of the Autobot Army, Marines and Air Force. There was damage delivered to the colony but it was calculated to be as minimal as possible by the planning of Optimus Prime who led the battle from his command ship over the colony.

"The enemy had bridged in, taken stock, then decided to overtake the Industrial Park Cities which are strategic to the functioning of the colony. They also entered and damaged all of the human habitats through ground action but no one was hurt. Armed forces and traps set in the tunnels leading to the shelters prevented that from happening. Every human on world and in the station is safe and unharmed.

"At the moment of this communique there are mopping up operations going on all over the colony. There are remaining Decepticon ground troops to round up and munitions to be disarmed that were dispersed when Decepticon ships were terminated. It is expected to take a couple of days which means all of the colonials have to stay in the shelters until the all clear is given.

"There has always been provisions for circumstances such as this. No one on the other side is going to give up voluntarily. But its a testimony to the armed forces and those who lead them that this is the first serious incursion on the sovereignty of the Prime in our history here. Lord Optimus will be giving a press conference when its feasible given the fluid conditions. All communications will be sent to the MCA by the Office of Strategic Communications when there is information to deliver.

"Until then, the situation is under control, the remaining invaders are being rounded up and no one who was not involved in the fighting is harmed. All humans and civilian Cybertronians are safe and secured in the shelter system that we maintain. Until more information is released, have confidence in the efforts of those charged to protect you, both here and on Earth including Optimus Prime and his senior staff."

She stared at it a moment, then turned in her chair to speak with Mick Moran, Glenn Morshower's chief of staff who had taken a seat while she read the communique. "Colonel, what do you think happened at the colony and how badly do you conjecture that the damage is to the cityscape?"

"It would be that, conjecture," Mick replied. "But I do have a few new things given to me by General Morshower who is in communication with Prime and William Lennox who is senior commander on world with the sole responsibility to command the human community there. General Morshower has told me that the colony has sustained damage. Some of the towers took hits including Prime's own.

"There was a lot of street fighting and a lot of damage occurred that way. The biggest problem was the crash landing of huge ships that were drawn away from the cities by Prime's forces to be engaged over unoccupied land. Some of them were shot down and the crashes would have destroyed enormous sections of the colony if they weren't driven into the spaces where they landed.

"As it is, the infrastructure has taken a hit. Energon stations and electrical substations were destroyed and the colony is partially dark. Its going to take a bit of time to do things up again," Mick said.

"Does anyone know the body count yet? Has any Autobots been harmed or killed among the soldiers and airmen?" she asked.

"We don't know but it was a swift encounter and not protracted. I have no numbers but it didn't have the urgency that such things have when they're a huge disaster," Mick replied.

"You said that Optimus Prime's home tower took a hit?" she asked.

Mick looked grim faced a moment. "The top four floors were destroyed."

=0=On World

Ratchet caught up with Optimus and his growing party. He slid to a halt, then hugged Prime tightly. "How is it going?"

"We are collecting stragglers," Prime said. "What is the situation from your end, Ratchet?"

"We have two on the borderline, both Seekers. If they survive they'll be needing other professions. We have wounded, a few in the Intensive Care Units but I have hope for them."

Prime looked relieved. He glanced around at the downtown area of Terra. "This is going to take time. We need to get this locked down." He glanced at the towers where there was no lights. "We have to get the grid up."

"The crash sites are ghastly," Ratchet said. "Inferno has crews there to contain the mess. Two cruisers and a battle shuttle or two. Its hard to say because its dark and they blew up over a wide area," Ratchet said.

Prime nodded grimly. "When the fighting is over and we have them all in custody we need an assessment of the entire colony and Prima Station. I want every corner inspected. Until then the people stay below ground." He glanced at Hardie. "What is the word on Paladin's whereabouts?"

"We lost him. He could be anywhere including the forts of Razorclaw and Ominous. I personally believe he won't go to either given his loses here," Hardie said.

"I think I agree," Prime said. He glanced around, then turned to the group. "I have to speak to The People."

"Transponders then," Ratchet said. "The groups at the airfield pretty much shellacked IntraCom."

Prime felt that rippled though, then nodded. He gathered himself, then tapped into every adult Cybertronian and high end sub adult in the colony. He composed himself, then began. :This is Optimus Prime: he said.

=0=TBC 11-12-2021

ESL:

conjecture: (con-jek-sure) educated guessing

protracted: (pro-trak-td) something that is drawn out, something made longer than it should be