What Makes No Difference Is No Difference (WMNDIND 15)
-0-On the trail
They fled swiftly, flying in and out of the debris field which was thickening in density the farther they got into it. Several signals bounced off various objects and swirled in the radiation, dust of comets and planetary fragments. Asteroids had to be dodged and empty spaces without debris traversed swiftly because those following were as intent to catch up as they were to flee.
They'd been called to come by Megatron himself and they were determined to reach the big bot before Impactor caught up with them. They knew he was coming because he had chased them for ages now, almost catching up but never quite making the link. As they wove their way through leaving a trail that was slowly dispersing into the shifting debris, they made their way toward a low band Decepticon signal that began when they were 75 light years away from the planetary system ahead.
They were heading that way with haste.
-0-Autobot Alpha 1
"Prowl."
He glanced up from tactical. "Yes?"
"We have bogies in the field," Smokescreen said. Prowl walked over to look, then turned to an aide nearby. "Launch Able 1."
The aide nodded, then ran from the room. Hustling across the airfield, he paused by the Officer of the Orn. After a quick chat, the officer pushed a button signaling the duty soldiers to beat it for three big ships waiting nearby for just such a mission. They ran from barracks and hangars heading for their ships which were powering up. Jumping aboard with gear, they lifted off and flew almost instantly into space. As they did, three more ships landed with 42 refugees, most of them in relatively good shape.
-0-In space
"Hustle, Roadie."
"On it, Impactor," Roadbuster said in his unemotional manner. He was flying nearly as fast as their specially modified fighter transport could carry them. It was sleek, heavily gunned, its armor bearing the Autobrand, The Wrecker emblem and a list of icons stating their kill ratio.
It was a long list.
Impactor sat by the window sharpening the edge of his harpoon on a whet stone, the long strokes even and relentless. He himself was itching for the fight, a long time quest for a ruthlessly relentless warrior. They would catch up, they would kill the fraggers and then move on to the next job. There was always a next job.
"Impactor."
The big mech turned to Inferno. "What?"
"I'm getting an Autobot signal. Two of them. One very faint coming from that system up ahead and another following," he said glancing at his boss as he sat at engineering monitoring sensors.
"Pulse a query to the one following," Impactor said sitting back against the bulkhead.
Inferno did and got a reply. "Autobots. Three ships. They're after the same signal as us."
"Frag them. Put them on," Impactor said.
"You're go," Inferno replied after a moment.
"Autobots following, identify. This is Impactor, Chief of the Wreckers pursuing a target. Identify, over."
Static filled the cabin, then corrected. "Impactor, this is Autobot Hound in pursuit with three ships the signal you're following. Send the codes."
Impactor nodded to Inferno who sent the identifier signals that would indeed show they were friendlies. They were returned by Hound. "Impactor, we're going after the same prize. Work with us and we can catch their sorry afts."
"Frag that, Hound. Tell Prowl or whoever has you in harness that these slaggers are ours and we will end them here," Impactor said.
"You know that's not going to go over well. The system you're heading for is Level 4," Hound said.
Impactor thought about that, then replied. "Catch up, slaggers and we'll talk. But nothing is going to change our mission. Impactor out."
It was silent a moment, then Topspin leaned forward resting his elbows on his knees. "Level 4. We can't go there."
"They have to tell me why and make it good," Impactor said stroking his harpoon blade against the whet stone again. It would take a bit for Hound and his ships to catch up. Prowl would be alerted while he did.
Prowl would not be happy.
-0-At Autobot Alpha 1 on Earth, Jasper, Nevada, USA
Prime read the notice from Prowl with concern. "This is worrying. I need to intercept them before they get too close. No one can come here and battle on world. That would throw every operation here into a gigantic whirlpool. Magnus," Prime said turning to the group that had gathered around him. "Take me to a meet up in space. Ratchet, I want to be within hailing distance of Impactor without giving anything away. Plot the course and download it into Magnus's navigational computers."
"On it, Optimus," Ratchet said turning to comply.
"Ironhide, Springer, you come with us," Prime said. "Let us get out of here quickly."
They walked for the elevator to leave through the roof hatch into the darkness of night. They would dampen their signal and make it out of the system without too much trouble. Megatron would be focused on Earth, Soundwave and Starscream would be focused on Megatron and Shockwave would be lost in his newest project as he waited for a ship filled with extraordinarily dangerous Decepticons to come at his call.
The children watched as they left, then Miko looked up at Ratchet. "What's going to happen, Ratchet?" she asked.
"If we're lucky, Impactor will obey Prime and not bring a war onto these shores," Ratchet said as he grimly began to follow the satellites overhead as they swept the Earth for signs of Primal relics.
-0-Aboard the ship of Ultra Magnus
Prime sat in the co-pilot seat as Magnus flew his swift deadly ship through the atmosphere. This was the first time he'd been off world since he checked in with Prowl at his base.
"Optimus Prime needs muscle and brains. Go there and assist. The others with you I'll reassign. Go, Magnus," Prowl had said and he did. He arrived on Earth with Perceptor, Nosecone and Mirage. The mission was clear and the only thing for him, so intense was he to serve. That he and Prime had been children together, Deion and Orion, was also a factor in his thinking.
Ironhide and Springer leaned against the wall in the space behind the flight deck. Like Magnus, the ship was spare and honed to fight. There were few amenities, if any, aboard but there was a butt load of guns of all kinds.
It was silent as they reached the solar well, heading out through the roiling energy for a meet up 35 light years out of the reach of Megatron and his sensors.
"Did you see what I just saw, Optimus?" Magnus said as he glanced at his oldest friend for a second.
"Yes. Megatron is building a base on Mars," he said. "This is a good thing, leaving Earth. We would not have known otherwise."
"It throws a monkey wrench into the works," Springer said. "We'll have to take it out."
"Or take it over," Prime said with a resolute tone. "One task at a time. When will we reach the broadcast spot?"
"In about a joor," Magnus said. "Everyone might as well sit back and relax," he said as he opened up the throttle once clear of the worst of the boiling bubbling energy of the solar well.
-0-On the road
They drove onward heading out of Kansas which had been ground zero for the search grid thus far. Rolling north into Nebraska, the twins and Bumblebee bantered to beat back the boredom. The enhanced devices they carried to detect Primal energy that always suffused Primal relics worked independent of their attention. The boredom was stultifying as they rolled over the flat terrain.
:This is insane. There's literally nothing here: Sunstreaker said as they rolled along nearly bumper to bumper. :Fragging flat land:
:Reminds me of the Sea of Rust. The Hydrax Plateau, too: Bee said in his usual upbeat tone. :Could be worse:
:How?:
:I don't know. Suck it up, Sunny. We have miles of this ahead of us and this isn't the only continent here: Bee said as he sped up. The others sped up with him disappearing into the flat distance.
-0-At a point in space 35 light years from Earth
"Ultra Magnus to Impactor," the big mech said over the encrypted line, one that the Decepticons had never broken and hadn't now. "Answer, Impactor."
"Impactor here."
"Impactor, this is Optimus Prime. State your mission."
"Optimus Prime, we're in pursuit of a gang of murderers who've eluded us for nearly a vorn."
"You are heading for a Level 4 zone. I forbid you to continue pursuit. Respond." Prime waited tensely as did all the others.
"Prime, the mark is heading your way. Help us head them off. They're answering a call that appears to have originated from Megatron or someone in your system using his signal. We can't allow them to land in your zone."
"Send us their trajectory."
Data arrived and as it did the voice of Hound did, too. "Optimus Prime, this is Hound leading a mission sent by Prowl to head off Impactor and his quarry."
"Hound, continue pursuit. I am going to send you coordinates and you will join with Impactor and us to drive these Decepticons out of the area and into a crowded space where they can be captured or killed. We have a Level 4 zone in place. No one is to break it under any circumstances. Ping receipt."
One ping came from Hound and one followed slowly after from Impactor as they began to turn on the plotted course sent to them by Prime. All of them began to move on the 'Con ship, Hound and Impactor from the rear and Prime from the front of their projected line of travel. The Decepticon ship began to move away from Prime as he began to close on them.
"Decepticon ship, this is Optimus Prime. You are intruding on my sovereign space. Turn away or we will kill you," he said as Springer and Ironhide began to power up the ship's guns. "Reply."
It was silent for a moment, then a reply came to them. A deeply masculine voice spoke over the ship's intercom system. "Prime. Frag off. We're just passing through. Try and shoot us and you'll regret it."
"That was Birdbrain." Ironhide opened a channel. "Impactor. Are you chasing Monstructor?"
"Affirmative," Impactor replied.
"Frag. They can't make landfall," Ironhide said.
"No, they cannot," Prime replied grimly.
-0-TBC 2-13-16 edited 2-13-16 01-23-2021
