The Diego Diaries: Mambo (dd7 105)
=0=Here
"They're launching." Prowl checked data. "Small stuff. Nothing too big. We caught them napping."
Prime glanced at Prowl who was bent over the data pad on the table, watching the intel as it poured in. Prime glanced at the forward view port. "Take us in."
Sun, Steiner and Jack sat along the wall forward of the conn watching the stars smear just a bit as the ship jumped forward. Outside, they could see vessels flashing past to take up their places for the onward rush at the installation.
Omega, Xantium and Beta appeared below them and poured on the gas. As they did, they began to transform into their root mode, something they'd practiced together given their last battle. On each side of them keeping up, the battle shuttles appeared. They spread out and gave a forward line of fire that would be withering. When the last piece of Supreme tech snapped into place, the three ships stepped on it followed by their escort.
Moving through the approach which was clouded by broken ice, dust, rocks of varying size and all manner of snowy ice balls some as big as houses, the group roared through to more open space. Ahead of them could be seen lights of ships rising up to meet them, small and large both. It was going to be an uneven battle. Cassio's big ships were still on the ground getting ready to lift off.
They wouldn't.
Channels buzzed with calls to each other and a hilarious conversation between Omega and Xantium about who would get what. Beta being a gent kept his optics on the prize. It wouldn't take long for each side to see eyeball-to-eyeball.
Literally.
=0=There
"LAUNCH EVERYTHING! MEET THEM!" Cassio gripped the edge of the console as he watched lights appear out of nowhere on his screens. He didn't know that Prime had halted jamming their sensors in the hope that most of the soldiers would see the overwhelming force coming and surrender. Cassio stared without comprehension at the mass heading their way. They would be here in seconds. He turned toward Ebio. "WHAT'S OUR SITUATION!?" he shouted.
Ebio who wasn't a soldier either looked up at him with fury. "FRAGGED!"
That was when strafing outside began to appear inside. Everyone dove under something including Ebio and Cassio. The sound was astonishing as the room was torn up by what could only be heavy gunner Seekers.
=0=Outside
They came in hot, Seekers flying in waves. Flying between shuttles that peeled off to give chase to the few ships that had managed to reach space, heavy gunners shot up the buildings. Behind them coming in just as fast, two and three mech fighters arced around and began to shoot up ships. They flew over the airfield shooting vessels as mechs and the odd femme ran from them before they began to blow up and burn.
They flew upward into the dark to disappear from view. Behind them came more and took up where they left off. The airfield was a burning shambles in no time. Ships lay where they were destroyed, some buckling under the explosions from munitions and other flammables as shrapnel flew everywhere.
Behind them in space was a battle royal as three Supreme mechanisms swarmed each other to get to the ships that had made it to space. Beta managed to snag the rear section of a cruiser. He gripped it, then powered backward. The ship slowed, shuddered, then the tail section came off in a big flaming wrench. It sputtered, then burned out instantly as it trailed fluids, raw energon from stores for fuel and the odd mech. All of them froze in the cold but the mechs who were floundering around in vacuum.
Beta stared at them as he let go of the tail section. Then he reached out for the floating crew necessitating a very humorous, very short foot race by mechs flapping away from him and him drifting calmly after them with a big, big servo reaching out.
While he exercised his humanitarian impulses, Zee who had none was busy ravaging the forward half of the fin-less vessel. Shaking it hard, he watched things rattle around inside the command deck, then he began to peel the ship with a big grin on his face.
Omega was chasing another one while three others continued forward. Unfortunately, Optimus and the fleet were in the way and one of them didn't swerve fast enough. A shuttle rapped into Salton Sea jolting everyone inside as it sort of dissolved into confetti for its efforts. Mechs flew out of it into space in time for Beta to start acquiring them as well.
"Well, doesn't that beat all," Ratchet said as he gazed out the window to watch Beta gently pluck them out of their dilemma. "He looks like a nice little boy picking flowers."
Prowl who didn't magnetize in time stood up from the floor, stared at Beta, then nodded. "Given its Beta, I'll agree with the nice little boy part." He walked back to the table, sorted things out, then began to concentrate again. "The command center looks bad. Fires everywhere. The ships on the line are down. We're getting the few still in space. That leaves a lot of stuff not accounted for."
"There are three planets here. We continue," Prime said. "Group A."
:A here:
"Take the secondary target," Prime said.
:On it. A-Conn out:
A number of Seekers arced around to follow half the shuttles onward. They would go to the planet nearby which was part of the original settlement and find out where the rest of Cassio's fleet was hiding. The intel said he had a large fleet and this wasn't it.
=0=Cassio and Ebio
They crawled out from under a hard topped table, then stood amid the fires and screaming all around them. They weren't soldiers, just order givers. All of their sub commanders were gone. Only the wounded remained. Cursing loudly, Cassio unsubbed a gun, then glanced at his brother. "We have to fall back to the other sites. Come on!"
Ebio pulled his gun and ran with his brother to the door. Out they went past housing to the airfield. When they got there, they had time to duck as a huge mech in root mode hovering overhead took part of a shuttle he held in his hand and threw it down onto the ground to smash into the burning remains of a battleship.
They watched with astonishment as the big mech who looked like a Supreme mechanism grip part of a ship he held in his servo, rip off a piece, then aim for another burning ship. He struck that one as well. Rather than watch for more inhumanely accurate ball play, they both ran toward a hardened bunker to slip inside.
Meanwhile, Xantium Supreme continued target practice overhead.
=0=Up there
"So that's why I'm a good luck charm, Prowler," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile.
Sitting nearby, Sun chuckled. "Is that so?"
"Sure," Ratchet said.
Prowl looked up at Sun, then frowned. "Don't encourage the Loon."
Sun laughed, then stood to stretch. "I think I'll go help Zee pick targets," he said as he began to walk toward the elevator that would lead to the bridge room.
"I'm going, too," Jack said as he stood, then glanced down at Steiner. "What about you?"
"I think I'm going to wait. There has to be more somewhere. The intel said a lot of ships," Steiner said. "Unless they were lying."
"Cassio Imperialis? No," Jack said with a grin. "Maybe a Seeker can give me a ride to those two other planets." He followed his brother to the elevator, then the two disappeared below.
"Those two are a pair," Ratchet said with a grin. "What's the word on the other sites. He had a lot of mechs and ships from before. He's had time to recruit."
"Nothing yet," Prowl said. He sat back. "Could it be this easy? I hope so. I hate fragged slag."
"Good thing your mama isn't here to hear you cuss," Ratchet said.
"I'd blame it on your bad influence," Prowl said with a grin. Then he leaned forward. "Intel. The bases on the other planets showed a lot of soldiers and ships. They lifted off and disappeared into space. Apparently, they decided to cut their losses." He glanced at Prime. "Your reputation proceeds you."
"I will take my victories where I can. What about survivors? What about the two? Any news?" Prime asked as he finally relaxed.
"Not yet. When the all clear is called maybe we can go down to look," Prowl said.
"I'll bring the baggies," Ratchet said with a snicker. "Poor babies. Neither of them are soldiers. I would love to have them in custody."
"I'm ordering a search. I don't suppose they'd come out to surrender," Prowl said as he sent orders out.
"Keep dreaming, Prowler," Ratchet said with a grin. "Everyone needs a dream."
=0=Out there
The Autobot shuttles and their Seekers scanned deeply into space watching on their screens as the mass of ships from Cassio's group headed back into Decepticon territory. All of the missing ships and personnel had lifted off and headed out that way as the Imperialis Brothers bit the big one as the human soldiers would say. Never long on character to start with, 'Cons were frail reeds in the loyalty department. Cassio and Ebio, if their pieces parts were found and still operational would be highly displeased.
When they turned back and finally landed in mass on the only still occupied planet, the command center of their late and not lamented operation, most of the fires were dying down, Xantium had run out of ammunition and the groups were gathered to surrender.
They were one sullen mangy lot.
Hercy swaggered down his ship's ramp as did Kup from his and Splice from his. They gathered with their mechs, guns in servo and appraising expressions on their faces. Hercy walked to the big gathered group, then stopped before them. "Who speaks for ya?" Hercy asked calmly. Everyone else was behind him holding their guns up to shoot anyone who moved.
"I do," a big mech said with a snarl. "Who are you, runt?"
"Who speaks for ya?" Hercy asked as the first volunteer lay on the ground twitching. He twirled his prod with one hand, then held it loosely by his side.
Everyone watching stepped back.
So did the Autobots.
Everyone glanced at each other among the surrendering masses, then pushed a big guy forward who shrugged them off, then shot death rays at them from his optics.
"Who are you?" Hercy asked.
He glanced downward at the little bot, then stepped back a pace. "Joon-O."
"You can call him Joon," someone said in the back, then laughed. Everyone else did as well.
Joon-O frowned, then glanced back. "Frag you, slagger. Say that to my face."
A huge mech standing in the group walked closer. "Joon. Joonie. JOOOOOoooOOOOooooooOOOoon."
That's when Joon-O punched the slagger in the face.
=0=Up there
They relaxed on the command deck at the unexpected turn of events. Steiner was commenting. "I imagine that neither of them being real soldiers, it didn't instill confidence in the troops. The slaggers might be kindling anyway. If we didn't get them maybe their own troops did."
"I've seen that happen before," Prowl said as a message buzzed. "Prowl here."
:Prowl, this is Hercy. You better get down here. Might bring Prime:
"Uh, why?" Prowl asked.
:Someone's making a book. Hercy out:
It was silent on the deck as everyone glanced at everyone else. Then Prime stood. "I am going down there."
"Why? That's why you have soldiers so you don't have to," Prowl said as he stood.
"Come on, Steiner. You wanted to wait. Something tells me there's gold down there," Ratchet said as he rose to follow a slightly grinning Prime.
Steiner joined him to walk past Prowl.
Prowl watched them, then hoofed it to the elevator. "SMOKESCREEN! YOU HAVE THE CONN!" He disappeared into the elevator.
Smokescreen watched them go then grinned. "Frag. Someone's taking bets." He looked around but there were no senior Autobots left. He sat back, then snickered. "Always a day late and a dollar short." He punched a button. "Smokescreen to Sideswipe."
:Sideswipe here:
"You with Hercy?" he asked.
:Yep:
"Film. I want film. Oh. Someone's making a book. Put me down for whoever looks likely to win," he said.
A chuckle returned to him. :You got it. Sideswipe out:
"Fragger. Rub it in," Smokescreen said as he walked to the command chair to sit. Leaning back, he swiveled it to look at the kids who were getting experience running the ship. "Carry on, infants," he said with a grin.
=0=TBC 10-08-19 02-27-2021