The Diego Diaries: Incident: Incursion (dd8 240)
=0=Autobot City, Mars
They stood and sat in the Ops Center considering the newest intel just as Wheeljack linked in from the Sciences Center. Behind him on the screen could be seen his brothers and Perceptor hunched over a computer terminal talking together softly.
"Prime," Wheeljack said with a grim expression. "We're hunting for the group in the Ruins but can't locate them. We've conjectured that they got caught up in a surge or perhaps a shimmer of radiation from a spray. If they are they can be concealed from view. I don't believe they're stupid enough to try to bridge that far into the Ruins. They would know the consequences of drawing a surge toward them with a bridge. The ships that do bridge appear to come from a clearer space farther ahead of their group's last known location."
"Then they're navigating a surge or flair," Ratchet stated. "If that's true they have to wait for it to subside before making a move to come forward. That is … they have to if they weren't wiped out by a flare."
"Both of those are strong possibilities. I hope for the one and expect the other," Wheeljack said. "We're working on all the objectives, Prime and we'll let you know as we figure it out."
"Very well, Wheeljack," Prime said as the image returned to the former. He glanced at Prowl as if to ask a question when the klaxon went off at Tactical.
"We have intruders. Several bogies near Saturn," the Home Guardsman said.
Prime and everyone were out the door before he finished his sentence.
=0=Forward Base Two, Enceladus
The shuttles lifted off as the message hit them that there were intruders in the system near their base and planet. Roaring upward, the three shuttles on the flight line headed into space toward the Saturn Shipyard where four unknown ships were currently located. As they did a battle shuttle and 100 standby Seekers fled through the Trigger to come out in battle formation near the massive shipyard.
Two titan vessels were in the docks getting major work done having come to there in a savaged condition. Found in the far reaches of space, they were bridged in by their siblings in relay until they reached the system and assistance. Even though they were at this moment helpless to defend themselves given their stripped down condition for maintenance and upgrades, the very presence of them cast a pall on anyone intending to cause trouble if they saw them.
The ships flashed around the shipyard drawing several fighter squadrons who were there to do maneuvers among the inner planets. Their crews were eating lunch in the cafeteria before going out to train. The klaxon of invasion raised them nearly as one into the dark space broken by the lighting bays and towers of the maintenance station.
The intruder ships banked hard heading in the direction of the solar well, then banked again when the ships from Forward Base Two could be seen on course to intercept them. Even as the Seekers and Prime, the fighters and the battle shuttles began to close in to fire that was how fast the four ships disappeared through a suddenly flaring bridge to disappear entirely.
=0=Ops Center, Mars
"Frag!" Prowl hissed as he stood over tactical. The bogies had just disappeared. "They have intel of the shipyard." He glanced at Ratchet who sat pensively at the command table with Tell in his arms. "This is bullshit."
Ratchet considered Prowl's outrage, his use of human swear words and agreed. "It is. Someone is probing us and we can't seem to catch up."
"We better and fast. This incursion is classified by the way," Prowl said as he stalked back to the table to sit and watch the play on the huge roll up map covering the table.
=0=Prime
He sat next to the pilot on the shuttle fuming silently when the klaxon sounded again. "Prowl."
:We have bogies over the city. Autobot City is under attack:
A chill fell over the ship for a split second, then Prime glanced at Rem. "Take us back fast!"
=0=Autobot City
They materialized over the city and flew fast as a tight squadron toward the military airfield and The Fortress. Nearly as fast as they came the big guns turned toward them and began to fire. Everywhere else citizens were running and driving toward whatever shelter they could find as air raid sirens sounded everywhere.
Prowl stood at Tactical conducting the defense as the airfields around the colony boiled up squadrons of ships and on duty stand by Seeker squadrons.
Seekers all over the colony transformed, then flew upward to undertake the defense even as the intruders began to lay down fire across the airfield. Strafing the flight line, laying down fire in the Courthouse, IntraCom and the hangars of the titans who lived there, they flashed upward into space.
By the time that Prime came through the bridge with half of the Seekers, the bogies disappeared again.
=0=On the ground
There were fires blazing everywhere from bombs and bullets that had been sprayed by a spread of four heavily armed ships. The stitching of the fire could be traced from the airfield across the big frame housing area and into the business district that bordered both sides of Cultural Center Road.
Fire engines howled as they converged on the buildings that had been hit followed by the fire teams that worked at the airport. Emergency vehicles including ambulances and Watchmen sped down the wide road to the affected areas. Close behind them with his siren blaring and his lights flashing, Ratchet sped.
=0=Prime
"What's the situation on the ground, Prowl?"
Prowl's voice replied nearly immediately. :We had a strafing run by four heavily armed ships, the same ship type description of the five on each of the runs thus far. They laid down fire from the ready-go line through the hangar district and down Cultural Center Road. There are confirmed hits on the Courthouse, the Hangar District Administrative Center, The Pit Stop and IntraCom:
Prime felt fury burst inside, then dampened it as swiftly. "Are there any casualties?"
:Unknown yet. Ratchet is on his way. We used the gun turrets at The Fortress to fend off the intruders. They fled when they opened fire. Right now, we have no idea where they went but I recommend raising the alert on world to level four. I would also recommend the same for Cybertron and the local group:
"Understood. Make it so," Prime said. "I am going to see to the wreckage. Prime out." He glanced at Rem. "Lets go down."
Rem did so grimly.
=0=Cultural Center Road
Shuttles set down in the open space behind the Courthouse that separated it from the high security prison some fifty miles away. Seen in the distance, it had suffered no damage but the intensity of the security there was boosted greatly.
Prime stepped down, then sprinted toward Inferno and Red Alert who were directing the emergency services personnel and equipment against a couple of raging fires and a lot of broken buildings. The fire had been direct and well placed. "What is the situation, Inferno?"
"We have five casualties, four of them reasonably expected to make it and one that's borderline. Ratchet got them out. Given that its between rushes for The Pit Stop, we only got minor casualties though the restaurant will have to be rebuilt."
Down the way a smoldering pile of wreckage of one of the most popular restaurants around could be seen with workers picking through it to put out the fires.
"The Courthouse was damaged by not by much. Replacing the parts that were destroyed by Omega when he fell on it with cybertanium was a wise move. It withstood the barrage well and sheltered most of those inside from getting hurt. Its only minor things.
"As for the Supreme hangars, there's damage and lots of tech to replace that manages the Supremes. They're really fragged off about it. But no one was hurt. Everything here is so well constructed that it helps protect those inside. The five most hurt were outside, pedestrians walking on the sidewalks.
"We have to replace light poles, repair or rebuild a few buildings, repair roads and fix problems on the flight line and the airfield but it was a miracle it wasn't worse," Inferno said as Red nodded.
"That is good to hear. Thank you, gentlemen. I will be at The Fortress," Prime said as he transformed, then drove onward toward The Fortress.
Hercy who had followed Prime with the others glanced around. "The guns did good service then?"
Inferno nodded. "Precision stuff. They fled under heavy barrage."
"Springer will be glad to hear that," Hercy said with a nod. "He calibrated them back in the orn."
=0=In space holding a security line
"The guns worked at The Fortress. Hercy just told me they were the difference in driving them off," Drift said as he sat next to a pensive Springer.
"That's good. I knew they'd do the trick," Springer replied. He leaned back against the bulkhead. :I wonder how Tell is:
:Ada had him until this happened. He gave him to Prowl and he's helping the wounded: Drift replied.
"This is fragged. No one should be wounded," Springer said bitterly. "We better get a handle on this. These fraggers could bring bigger ships and get in a few licks before we get off the ground. Frag Jhiaxus to the Pit."
No one disagreed with that sentiment.
=0=On a ship nearby
Sideswipe sat casually in the gunner's seat on his shuttle. He'd mustered from Enceladus and was in conversation with Sunstreaker who was in Tyger Pax. :What are you doing now?:
:Patrolling. Doing crowd control. The people are freaking out: Sunny replied. :The human and Hu-An Habitats are going into lockdown. Schools are being closed for the short term and everyone is being asked to stay home or at least inside. There's a big Watch presence and they're pressing us into service as well:
:Are you off from Charon then?: Sideswipe asked.
:For now. Blue got off but is on standby to take care of the kids. The daycare is going to get them if he's called up. Pray he isn't: Sunny said.
:I am: Sideswipe said grimly.
They would chat together for some time.
=0=Earth2
Owen Harris watched the monitor that held the unfolding story of the attack on the city. He was shocked and surprised that the enemy could so handily get through the iron curtain that he knew Prime had constructed. He had thought it impervious but it would appear that the enemy was resourceful as well.
The atmosphere of the habitat was tense and quiet as the life there continued onward. Their schools would be open but the dozens and dozens of kids in bot schools would stay home. Teachers would send lessons for them to do there over the digital stream and receive them back the same way. It would last until the lockdown ended. When that would happen was anyone's guess.
Andre Boudin walked in, then glanced at the monitor. "Frightening isn't it. We who have never seen war up close are about to be educated a bit into the life of these people. There are children here who had seen more way than many soldiers."
Owen nodded. "Its going to be a tough period, the next few days. I wonder what Prime has up his sleeve?" he wondered, then glanced at Boudin. "It would be a damned fool to think anything else about Optimus Prime."
Boudin nodded. "I agree."
=0=Emergency Entrance, Autobot City Medical Center, Autobot City, Mars
Ratchet walked to the landing pad on top of the building and boarded a runabout. It took off and landed him at the airfield. He climbed out and walked toward Prime and Raptor who were watching ships being towed off to be junked or repaired. He paused beside them for a moment in silence, then he glanced at Prime. "Everyone is going to live."
It would be an enormous weight that lifted off the broad shoulders of Optimus Prime but it would be an unquenchable flame that would be lit in his spark over this.
=0=TBC 8-29-2021