The Diego Diaries: Getting There (dd8 443)

=0=Bridging

They began to move through the bridge heading for a life they couldn't begin to hope would ever be theirs. Ships filled with soldiers led by an Autobot team flew forward in groups of 25 to eliminate the Decepticons first. Some of them needed help and were diverted to Corsair but most were capable of going onward.

Their ship burst out of the bridge to fall into an organized orbit of a huge red planet before them. Watching from the window, Porto and Sandman stared at the busy vista before them. Ships were moving into holding orbits of the usual three tier type as others came and went to the surface below. There were platforms for equipment that was obviously doing communications and other work in orbit both below and above their lane.

"This is … what is this, Sandy?" Porto asked with surprise.

"I don't know. This looks like a real place," Sandman said.

Others with them agreed.

"We're not coming to an army base," Porto said. "They said this place had 300,000,000 residents."

"I think that's not a rumor now," Sandy said as the others nodded.

It would be a very quiet wait for their turn to go to the surface.

=0=Prison

They were laid out on the ground, rows of mechs and a femme who were dulled into seeming lifelessness by a null ray delivered by a metrotitan. It would be soul destroying to endure and crushing to come out of but by then they'd be in cells.

Gee-Gee walked down the line of unconscious individuals with Winnie and Coleus looking at each as Coleus explained what was known about them. Apparently Jayco and the femme, Barger were a 'thing'.

She was about as dangerous as it got. She'd been alleged to kill her in-laws. Then she and her bond were here on the base together. However, the bond and her weren't 'together' together. They were apart but unable even with her new partner to break the weird bond that they kept.

"She has to go into solitary and be kept there until this gets sorted out," Gee-Gee said. "Her bond and Jayco also. I don't want anything bad to get worse here."

Winnie nodded. "This femme is something else. What mech would stay with her after she killed his genitors?"

"A mech without feelings. A psychopath or a masochist," Gee-Gee replied.

"Probably both, him," Coleus said. "They're going into different cages. This lot isn't going to be hopeful for change."

"No, but we can accommodate that," Gee-Gee said as she watched teams carry off those already marked into the database by Coleus. Placed on stretchers, they began to leave to go to a high security sector where there were single cells for each of them. They'd resisted against a metrotitan. That made them both peculiar and completely unpredictable. "Interesting lot. I wonder if there's going to be anymore from the group. Apparently, they really want to have a life."

"Then they came to the right place," Winnie said as they moved onward to see what else they had before them.

=0=Prime

The base was secured and tossed with anything interesting or promising removed. There were dead and so they were brought forward. Nothing would be left behind. It was a matter of principle for Prime having seen too many left behind where they had fallen in the past. No one was going to pillage any of them if he could help it, even the 'Cons.

:Blackjack to Prime:

"Prime here."

:We've cleared the base. We've pulled the databases and gone over it with a fine toothed comb. We can pull out and take it down at your call:

"Very well, General. You have discretion," Optimus replied as Prowl walked over to stand next to him.

"What's the likelihood that they rebuild here?" Prowl asked as he stared at the forward screen rolling data. The ships that were there were starting to move, some of them, heading back to their group after mining and pillaging the base. "I'd think it might be likely."

Prime nodded. "We have hidden sensors here. If they come back we will be ready."

It was then that the magic began to happen.

=0=A boy and his old pa

They sat together on the battle shuttle that had brought them here. Most of the other ships were heading back but for theirs and one other. Down below an empty base sat vulnerable and desolate as the last sapper vessel reached orbit, then sped off to join the others.

Blackjack stared at the schematic of detonation, one that would like falling dominoes flash through the installation and its various components like a wave. He glanced at his son who was looking at it as well. He grinned slightly at the boy he loved, the only child he ever expected to raise. Ironhide hadn't been guaranteed. When they finally decided to go to the Well he'd appeared in their midst like a blossom. All of the sorrows they felt melted like snow in the warm light of day.

Blackjack sat back, then handed the data pad to his son. "You wanna?"

Ironhide looked at his father with hopeful optics, the same beguiling ones that hoped for cookies, toys and the love of his heroes, every adult that his family fielded. Long orns of happiness had been his lot in their company and now was no exception. "You should do it. You designed it."

"I did but you're my boy and I know you like to blow things up. Remember that science experiment in school?" Blackjack asked.

Ironhide remembered shattered windows and pockmarked armor. "I try not to."

Blackjack chuckled. "Do it, infant. Don't make me wait too long."

Ironhide grinned at his father, his first hero among many, then looked at the data pad. "Fire in the hole," he said with a smirk, then pushed the button.

Down below in the silence of the now empty space things began to detonate. In a synchronized contrivance, the bombs went off in order. All around the well planned, well designed base buildings went up in smoke, towers fell and what machinery at the airfield was left died also. The last and most profound explosions were the four massive ammo depots that supplied the base. By the time the dust settled there would be nothing bigger than a twig left tangled on the ground.

The last things to blow up were the space devices and platforms that linked this base to the outer world. When the armada left the machine they'd first placed on the Decepticon's space router would continue to ghost messages back to HQ until they finally sent someone out to see what was happening or a supply ship arrived first. What it would also do was bullet send a message to Mars to let them know someone was there.

When Blackjack's shuttle finally left there would be nothing below to account for a working military base. Ironhide would ride back with his father with a big grin on his face.

=0=The Hourly News: Latest Breaking News

"We have a message from the Office of Strategic Communications concerning the ongoing mission to the Rim. Senior Commander Jazz of Kaon released a statement that says, "The armada led by Optimus Prime left Mars on a mission to rescue a mixed migration of Cybertronians fleeing from the area. The group included refugee civilians, some Autobot soldiers and several thousand Seekers. Also among them were the soldiers and techs of five Decepticon bases out there who were defecting to seek asylum here.

"When the group was reached Matrix oaths were taken from the five Decepticon groups. They've been sorted out and are being led through the immigration and restoration of citizenship process at the Port in Midtown. We expect just under 7,600 former Decepticons who are being assisted by the Former Decepticon Association.

"The civilians are a mixed group of Missionaries, small religious groups and many Neutrals. Among them leading their flight are a number of Autobot soldiers who've been steering their progress since The Fall. All of these individuals will be added to the data base and those who seek family are urged to view them on the Community Bulletin Board in the files pertaining to repatriated refugees.

"Five bases of Decepticons fled toward Mars and were detected by sensors on our security grid prompting this interdiction. It was accomplished without incident in space. The only problem that arose was the failure of one of the bases to fully surrender when called upon. The metrotitan Corsair who is part of the unassigned security reserve stationed at Cybertron compelled them to surrender through the artful application of a null ray. They are now residing in the prison here on world.

"The fleet is moping up the situation and assisting the civilians through the bridge to our colony. You will see a lot of newcomers at the Port and around the cities. They've been a long way here so make them welcome. The fleet is standing down when the last refugee is safely seen through the bridge. Further updates will be forthcoming."

Lim-Lee glanced up from the data pad. "That's very good news. More lost sheep and a few less wolves out there. We'll have more in a moment."

The screen shifted to community news.

Martin Polaski who was watching the news in a bar at Earth2 sat back in his chair. He glanced at his companions, Jase Daniels and Ted Galloway. "Well, they're very good at this, I see."

"They are," Galloway agreed. "More of them here, I guess. The 'Cons they hold are as dangerous as anything I've ever seen."

"Heaven forbid, then, that any of them get out," Martin said with a slight grin.

"If that ever happened we'd all be dead as hell," Jase said. "I saw them come in sometimes when the Military Airfield was the landing site. Some of them are certifiably insane."

Galloway nodded. "I'm glad they built the prison out there. At least we get a warning if something happens. The shelter system here is stellar."

Martin considered that. "Tell me about the times you had to go. I want to hear the stories."

They would.

=0=Port of Mars Airfield

The ships began to come in, sitting down on the big airfield that took incoming refugees from migrations. They settled, then the hatches slid open to let out the Autobot team that would manage the passengers to the huge long building nearby where Immigration and Citizenship Bureau individuals waited with those of the Bureau of Refugees to get them started on their new lives.

It was night but the lights brought daylight to the huge busy area. Nearby waiting for those who needed it, rows of land vehicles with seating capacities were parked, their drivers and medic assistants chatting together as they waited for customers. Beyond them, lines of individuals who worked as helpers rather than civilian volunteers waited to help their assigned individuals into their homes and futures after processing.

Barker, Padlock, DC and Rattler waited for the ships to begin to disgorge their precious cargo. Their mechs and femmes stepped down tensely, looking around at the splendor they hadn't even seen on Cybertron in the orn. Some of them saw their commanders, then alerted the others.

Walking toward them, the four greeted their troops with joy. The soldiers gathered around them listening to the amazing possibilities before them. They also heard about the Former Decepticon Association and the hope the four had that they would rise to the occasion before them. It was intense and hopeful conversation until a mech walked toward them.

Everyone turned toward him, instantly recognizing him.

He grinned at them. "Welcome to Mars and freedom."

They stared at him in silence a moment, then a big older mech stepped forward with his servo extended. "Hello, Hardie. Long time no see."

Hard Drive gripped his servo. "Hello, Stellar. Indeed. You made it, I see?"

He nodded. "Our kids are here to have a life. Is that going to be possible after all the slag that's happened?"

It was silent a moment, then Hardie grinned. "Yes," he said to the intense relief of everyone watching.

It would be a very strange and exhilarating time at the Port for the next few joors.

=0=TBC 5-27-2022

ESL

Interdict, interdiction: to go out and intercept something.