The Diego Diaries; Mission (dd8 215) (Took all day but here we go!)
(To everyone who sent a nice note, thank you. I just got the all clear from the quacks today and I'm going to go back to the regular schedule for now. Hugs and much love to all of you. You are my heroes.)
=0=More to come
Another vehicle rushed down Cultural Center Road carrying a number of humans who were going to come along, a few of them press ganged into going. They were Jason Daniels, Andre Boudin who wanted to come, Bill Nast who agreed to come though it was a disquieting thing to do and James Jameson. They had been given the heads up by Rick who had a bet with several of Prime's security officers who had duty at Earth2 that all would come. They were.
Owen Harris had okayed it and away they went. Andre was excited to be there and even though Bill Nast was as former military had a bunch of interest in the operation, he was still uneasy to be in their company. They sped onward to the airfield to board the same shuttle, one who would be commanded by Springer.
=0=Raptor and the Command
They gathered by his shuttle to get the last word and as they did Springer and Drift handed Tell over to Prowl. It was hard to do and it was clear on the faces of the two though they hid it pretty well.
:I have a little bed space in the Ops Center. I trailed a camera on it so you can see him. I'll feed you the stream: Prowl told both.
They both stared at Prowl with relief.
:Thanks: Drift replied.
A truck rolled up and humans stepped out, some of them clearly uneasy while a few others were excited. Mechs helped them get into carriers, then walked into two ships that would take them into the battle scene.
"I see Daniels and Nast are going with you two," Raptor said. "I got the rest of them. I get Big Jim Johnson," Raptor said with satisfaction.
"Lucky you," Ratchet said with a chuckle. "I think I'll ride out with your shuttle and then some with yours, Springer. You're going to Camber to command so who gets your shuttle?"
"How about you until the shooting begins?" Raptor asked.
"I do believe its Christmas Surprise early," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile.
"Tomorrow is Festival. Good thing we got this in servo. Its going to be thin group following him to the Temple," Drift said. "Give my regards."
Prowl nodded, then stepped back to allow everyone to enter their ship including Ratchet who went with Raptor.
The shuttle hatches slammed shut and after a second they began to lift off heading for space in a line. They disappeared from easy view but could be seen lining up behind the fiery flames of Trigger 1. With a signal from Command, they flashed through and were gone.
Prowl stared at the sight a moment, then began to walk back to the Ops Center with a sweetly babbling baby in his arms.
=0=On board The Flame
They were fixed into the slot that placed them about eye level to a sitting mech and halfway down the hull from the flight deck. The mechs there who included some gnarly Wreckers. Ratchet settled in, then all turned their gaze back toward the humans.
Will Lennox grinned. :Hi: he said to intense laughter.
=0=Temple
They hurried to make an alternative plan for the Festival that was coming up tomorrow. It would include a smaller family group for the Processional but that would be fine. Prime would officiate and hopefully nothing would require his presence concerning the mission so he could do this thing.
Venture was sitting with them going over the plan which he would relay to Prowl. One of the things he suggested was a feed to the mission so they could watch it if possible. This would be a joint celebration with a stop at the Temple in Simfur as well.
The afternoon would pass as the managers went over the plans to manage the program for billions and billions to watch.
=0=In boxes on shuttles going to who knew where
Will Lennox stood at the edge of his cage to watch the mechs down the shuttle. They were going to go with Raptor's group but it would be turned over to Drift when they reached the titans and dread who would be the command and firepower platforms of their mission.
In the box with him was a number of individuals that were both friends and those other guys. It was going to be interesting to watch the reactions of individuals like Bill Nast and Jason Daniels when the shit hit the fan. Jim Johnson and Sam Hedges would get their first real life taste of life with the mechs. Rick Harris had invited them for spite and that he could relate to. Rick Harris was a stand up guy.
So was Andre Boudin who he liked a great deal. James Jameson was a good acquaintance because his daughter, Jamie loved Annie and vice versa. Carlos Ortega was there, he of the Diego mercs class of 2009 as well as three others who were prickly and prone to dickishness. Even Springer and Drift had to stop in to make a reality adjustment to the three when they first came.
Think Power Rangers melds with COBRA.
He snickered when he thought about that but it fit them. Harris was really trying to break their balls but he came to the wrong place. They were a brick wall of solidarity, the humans who were long timers on Mars. He glanced to the side to see Gavin Pritchard move to a seat next to him. "Fun times," he said quietly.
Will grinned. "I think I agree with you."
That's when the shuttles began to fly through the tunnel of light to the other side of time where they would come out on the edge of the most violent section of unsettled disturbed space known.
=0=Back at the main show
The usual bunting and flags were on display everywhere as they got ready for the one day a year they would pack up their lives to think about the past, present, future and all that they could learn about them. The place was getting ready to shut down with the siren preparing to sound in about half a joor.
Prowl was sitting in the Ops Center holding Tell in his arms as he finalized a number of things Prime would need done before settling into the mild buzz that led to the Other Side. Prime was in the Strategic Command Center under the building watching the progress of the fleet heading out to find their missing science ship. He would stay there until just before the processional in ten joors.
Prowl would go home, link in and take care of children including his new loaner, Tell.
=0=Next door to the Bosom of Love™
"I think its sad all around that a holiday comes and its never time for the command to have free time," Ravel said as he stirred a soup in the slow cooker sitting on the counter. It was traditional food and would be served to everyone after the fast.
"That's the army life, Ravel," Chan said as he chopped things for a favorite salad for the same meal.
"It is," Ravel would answer.
When he did Appa Ratchet, Docker and Chan would grin. Corr was helping children get ready for bed next door.
=0=On Raptor's vessel
He lounged behind the pilot and grinned at his domain, a ship filled with soldiers, Ratchet and a box of humans for starters. "Well, you decided that you haven't pushed your luck enough then."
Lennox smiled. :We're counting on you, Raptor, to keep us in one piece:
Raptor snickered. "Who are the slaggers with you. I see a couple of n00bs."
The three new mercenaries glanced at the others, then stared at Raptor without comment. He was huge and fierce looking, that mech.
:Well, you might have heard about Big Jim and his Johnson: Will began as the big American mercenary turned to him with a frown. :Then there's Sam Hedges. These three new guys weren't strikers. They're hired guns from Blackwater sent here to spy on you by Harris:
Gavin glanced at Rick Harris.
Rick glanced at him, then shrugged with a big grin on his face. He knew his father.
Snickers rounded the bend.
"Name yourselves, slaggers," Raptor commanded as he crossed his huge arms over his huge chassis. His gaze was very direct.
They glanced at each other, then one stepped closer. :My name is Francois Elger and I'm from Algeria: He was tall, dark eyes and skin with a good build. Handsome and confident, he looked like a smart fighter.
Obviously, Harris was sending for smarter and more competent mercs.
Another stood from his seat. :I'm Luka Vesna and I'm from Serbia: he said in a well modulated voice. :Are you the general of the army or what?:
Raptor considered that. "I once was the army. We sorta got bigger so they only gave me a part of it. I am."
They stared boldly, both taking the measure of the other. This man was big, looked fast, was brutally strong in his rangy build like the other two and appeared to have smarts, too.
The third who was leaning against the glass glanced at Raptor, then straightened. :My name is Baris Aydan. I'm from Turkey. Pleased to meet you, General: His voice was thickly accented like the other two and a pleasing tenor as well.
All three looked smart, fit and formidable.
"I'll be pleased to meet all of ya when I know ya better," Raptor said with an appraising optic. "Why did you come along?"
:I wanted to see how you fight. It's a professional thing: Baris said as the others nodded. :I'm not one of those who want you to leave. I want to learn more from you, your techniques and styles. I find your army impressive:
:He's sincere, Raptor: Ratchet said as he ran his detection and medical scanners on a low band to ascertain what he could about their level of truth.
"Then you're welcome. If you came for anything else there's an airlock with your name on it," Raptor said with a big grin.
:RAPTOR!:
He glanced at the intercom. "WHAT!?"
"Come to Camber, you slacker. Time to move it along," a voice said, the voice of Turbine who would come along as tactician.
Raptor rose, then glanced at Ratchet. "You got the command until you're needed, slagger. Make me proud of ya."
"Why, Raptor," Ratchet said as he batted his optical ridges. "I always do."
Huge laughter greeted that as Raptor walked to the back of the ship to disappear into the bridge to Camber. It got quiet again as everyone glanced at Ratchet.
He grinned. "So … I get to be dad for a while."
"What do you think, Dad? A fight?" a mech said from the back.
Ratchet glanced at him, then grinned. "When was it ever anything else?"
=0=Camber
He walked to the command table to sit beside Turbine. "We ready to go? What do you have online?"
"All of our sensors are connected. We're picking up a small trail of residue that's been drifting for a while. Once we calculate the drift and rewind it to the starting point we'll have a direction. Who's running your shuttle?" Turbine asked as he worked on the math.
"Ratchet."
Turbine grinned. "He's speaking to us again?"
"He is," Raptor said as he gathered the data pads before him together to put together a few possible scenarios of his own. "He has two boxes of humans and almost all of the remaining mercs from Harris on board, too."
Turbine grinned. "I'll have to find a reason to drop in. Should be fun."
"I think so," Raptor said with a chuckle.
=0=TBC 7-20-2021