The Diego Diaries: Sun Dance (dd6 156)
=0=Down there in the mix
The sky was very blue and the few clouds in it were soft and wispy, sort of the summer kind that made life worth living. He could hear moaning around him as he lay flat on his back behind a low stone wall. His gun was still in his hand though it had barely fired before he was hit four times.
The stinging of his wounds was better than before because his automatic gear, some of his own specialized design and others of the Autobot persuasion kicked in and was getting him ready to go forward. The others who were scattered all around him weren't so fortunate. A quick scan informed him that no one was going to die but they were smarting from pretty well placed bursts of automatic fire on their bodies.
:Sign in to me now: Ratchet sent to everyone and they all pinged back. He glanced toward them and saw that Drift was laying on his side nearby while Springer was sprawled face down next to Roadie who looked like his bell was wrung hard. He was leaning against the wall just this side of showing himself over it and sported two grazes, one on each side of his helm.
The others were no better so he hurried his own repair stuff along, took a pain killer, dialed slag down and found himself in better shape. :Springer:
:Springer isn't home now. Please leave a message and I'll call you back when I'm not dead:
Ratchet guffawed then glanced his way. He had rolled over and was face upward again. He glanced at Ratchet, then grinned. "Glad to amuse you."
"You did. I'm going to handle this. Stay there and bleed." Ratchet opened tech, then began to remotely boost or activate the self care tech of everyone sprawled around the area. :There. Just stay put and let your stuff work. In the meantime, it's my show:
"What are you going to do?" Springer asked.
"Live and learn, sonny boy," Ratchet said with a smirk.
:Thundercracker. You there?:
:Thundercracker here: a voice replied.
Ratchet cut everyone in on the conversation. :Hey, TC, we got clobbered. I need some Seekers with big guns and good sensors. I have a plan:
A chuckle reached them. :Give me a second: A moment later a number of powerful engines signaled that Seekers were coming. :I have Red Wing on the line, Ratch: Thundercracker said.
:Thanks, slagger. Glad we could lighten your mood: Ratchet said as Thundercracker's chuckle reached all of them over the open line. :Red. You there?:
:We're right over you. What the frag happened to you guys?: Red's nice tenor said over the line.
Ratchet stared straight up to see a white Seeker jet with red wings hovering over him out of the accuracy range of the rifles and automatic weapons the slaggers in the five story house they were storming were using. :We're solar collecting: Ratchet gave a dazzling smile as the Seekers scanned them and sent the images to Prime at the Command Center. He wanted to make sure that Prime got his best side. :I want you slaggers to scan that five story, the yellow stone one and locate how many and where everyone inside is:
:Hang on: Red said then was back in a moment. :There's about seventeen inside. Most of them are in the basement. There's kids and elders, a couple of femmes and some mechs in the basement with five shooters on their third floor. What do you wanna do?:
Ratchet grinned in spite of himself. He then told Red and his fellows. Lying on his back with staunched bullet holes in his chassis and legs, Ratchet watched as five Seekers moved forward, arrayed themselves on each side of the building out of the easy target range of the slaggers watching inside, then waited.
"Slaggers inside the yellow building, this is Ratchet of Iacon, commanding the commandos. How about you and yours come out before we make little ones out of you big ones?" he said over the channel that connected them to the others through the transponder database that Ratchet carried that included special frequencies that allowed him to talk to anyone anywhere. Doctors were that specialized. Part of the download from Red Wing included transponder numbers and he used his codes to link up.
:How about you go frag yourself: a deep voice said. :We're not going anywhere. Get the frag out of here and we'll get on with our business. Prime and you have no hold over us:
"Of course we do. Slaggers. Read the charters and stuff. You coming out?" Ratchet replied. "We can play and have corn dogs later."
:Frag no!: came the reply.
Springer chuckled. "I would. Come out, that is. You asked nicely."
"Well, that's over," Ratchet said. "Red, read 'em from the book."
:Okay: Red said with a grin.
That was when the Seekers opened up on the top floors of the building. The shooting was amazing, precise and over as quickly as it began given that five Seekers were unloading on it all at the same time.
The debris flew up and sprayed the entire area as the top story and half the next one disintegrated. Stone and glass flew into the air and bashed around before falling to the ground.
On Ratchet and the Boys.
Then it ended.
Springer glanced at Ratchet with a fine dust of stone and glass covering him from head to toe. "Thanks, Ada."
Ratchet who suffered the same fate grinned at him. "Early Christmas Surprise gift. And no … you don't have to thank me." He tuned in again. "Oooeee! Slaggers! How about coming out now?"
:FRAG YOU!:
Gunfire poured out of the house into all directions but they were protected by the wall. It was furious, then it was over. It was almost painfully silent.
"Red, what's the place look like and where are the slaggers?"
:The entire top floor and the fourth flood down to the windows is gone. They're fleeing downward. Give me a moment: he said as he tracked the mechs fleeing toward the second floor. They ran to the windows and dug in. :They're down to the second floor. The third and half the fourth are still there. Mostly: He laughed and Ratchet could feel it over the line.
He grinned, then called again. "Slaggers. This is your last chance. Drop the guns, gather your party and come out. COME OUT! COME OUT WHEREVER YOU ARE! I, Ratchet will lead you to the Promised Lan-"
Enormous firepower poured out then ended. It was painfully silent again.
Drift who was on his back staring at Ratchet grinned. "They don't like you, Ada. I feel insulted for you."
"I do, too. To know me is to love me," Ratchet said, then smiled a dazzler. Rough laughter from rousing mechs greeted that. He grinned and scanned them all. Everyone but Roadie was reviving. "Hey, slaggers. Last chance to come out. I, Ratchet will vou-"
More firepower then silence.
"Hey, Red? Take it down to the second floor," Ratchet said just as a fusillade hit the building. It was ungodly, the sound and more slag flew up then down on the punters sprawled everywhere. After it settled and the sound ended, Ratchet glanced up at the ships hovering over him. "What's the word, Red?"
:No more third, fourth and fifth floors. You want to continue or do you think you can sweet talk them out?: Red asked with a smirk in his voice.
Down the way the sound of ped falls drew his attention and he saw that Hercy, Kup and the usual suspects were heading their way. They slid to a halt then ran for the buildings nearby for cover.
"Slagging cavalry arrived. Late as ever," Ratchet said mostly musing to himself. "Let me try, Red." He considered the destruction. "Those inside the split level," Ratchet began as mechs around him laughed aloud. "You're running out of real estate. How about saving yourself because my tanker is coming."
Springer who was staring at Ratchet with a grin looked surprised. "Tanker?"
Ratchet looked at him then grinned back. "Yep." He continued. "If you don't come out of there we're going to drop 3,000 tons of quick drying cement on you and leave you there. I'm so fragged off that you shot up my squad that I'm going to cut my loses."
It was silent then the voice was back. :You're lying. You're an Autobot. Prime wouldn't let it happen even if you wanted to:
"What makes you think I'm telling Prime?" Ratchet asked.
It was silent a moment.
"You wouldn't?" Drift asked with a slight grin.
"If it comes to me doing that then no. I won't tell Dad," Ratchet said.
Overhead, a ship could be heard, a big powerful one. Everyone looked upward to see a giant ship pull up overhead blocking the sunlight with its shadow. It looked like it could hold 3,000 tons of whatever you wanted.
"I'd take a look up at the sky, slaggers. We're holding fire," Ratchet said. :Red. Let me know if someone does:
:Got it, Ratch: Red said. After a moment he replied.
:Someone looked then ran back down:
:Coolness: Ratchet said. He waited a moment then called again. "Hey! Last call! If you get off at this station you won't have to sit in a basement to the end of time wishing you had picked door number two and not number one. Come out without guns and I promise I'll call off my tanker."
It almost seemed to stretch into infinity before the voice was back. :If we come you'll shoot us:
"Nope. We're going to arrest you but you're going to live to answer for this. Get smart. Prime put me in charge of this operation. He won't know about this if I decide to cut my loses. I have a lot to do today. Make a good decision or let at least those go who don't want to feel what six million pounds of wet concrete feel like dropped from the sky onto your helms."
=0=Sitting nearby watching and listening
Prime watched the feed sent by Red Wing and listened to the negotiation by Ratchet. He watched the shooting, the diversion of a cargo ship to the site and the amusing byplay.
Sitting at his desk back on Mars in the home office, Prowl watched as well as he ran part of the operation from there. His family was in the living room catching up happily together.
More time passed then the slaggers surrendered. Hercy and his group ran forward to take custody of the miscreants while Ratchet sat up slowly then rose. Walking to each downed mech, he did field patches, gave scripts, then called for an evacuation of Roadie who would need some repairs and recuperation back on Mars. He would recover fully.
He would be fully pissed to miss out on the show.
A good ten mechs including Springer, Ratchet and Drift stood behind the wall watching the parade of high caste slaggers walk out, surrender and get cuffed. They were led to a ground vehicle that had arrived, loaded up and carted off.
Overhead, the Seekers rolled in place in salute then jetted off. Watching them were energon smeared, dust covered and ventilated mechs.
Hercy walked to them then grinned. "You look like slag."
"Thanks, Dad," Springer said as he glanced at Ratchet. "We owe it all to Nana here."
Ratchet laughed then hefted his gun. "There's one three blocks down."
They stared at each other then that direction. Then with limps, groans and other vocalizations which can't be printed here the entire group headed off the bag more slaggers.
=0=Ironhide around the corner three blocks that-a-way
He crouched behind a stone border of a park trading shots with a bunch of slaggers who were dug into a rock garden. Glancing down the way behind him, he saw Hercy and his group arrive then deploy. Behind them limping along like a chalk covered zombie army, Ratchet, Springer and Drift along with several other mechs clanked along then halted just out of range.
He stared at them with his elders and several others as they stared at him. It was silent a moment, then the screaming sounds of Seekers on a strafing run could be heard. Ironhide and his group had just enough time to duck down before Red Wing obliterated the rock garden with his mechs. Rocks, dirt, dust, organic material and bots flew everywhere in seconds. Then it was silent.
Nearby watching with seeping wounds and amusement, Springer glanced at Ratchet who was watching everyone climb back up, then rush the dazed defenders. "That was kinda anti climatic."
Ratchet nodded. "It was."
"You didn't warn anyone including our guys," Springer said.
Ratchet nodded. "I didn't."
"I was sorta hoping for a rematch. Or a chance to regain my legend," Drift said.
Ratchet glanced at him with a dirt streaked face. "Too late now, slagger."
HUGE laughter greeted that.
=0=TBC 12-13-19 :D