The Diego Diaries: Ho-Ho-Huh? (dd7 179)
Sorry about last night. I was so tired from the cold, it leaches your strength if it lasts long enough and all I did was climb into bed and snooze. Here we go! (It is a high of -15 today)
=0=The Airfield
The activity on the airfield indicated to those passing by that a mission was underway. Many were the mechs and femmes called up to do duty. They gathered, called to muster alone or with others some of whom weren't going, family and friends who came to watch. The idea of Triggers leaving orbit had thrown a strange gloss on the mission and speculation was running wild on social media platforms on world such as Bullhorn and Autobot City Underground.
"Maybe they're going to move the planets to some place else."
"I think they used to do it in the past. I don't know."
"What do you think, Appa?"
"WHY IN MY ORN THEY DID IT ALL THE TIME! NOVA SENTINEL PRIME STARTED IT AND THOSE OTHER SLAGGERS DID IT UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THE GOLDEN AGE! THEN THEY JUST USED SPACE BRIDGES TO OVERTAKE OTHER PLACES! THAT NOVA PRIME WAS A REAL FRAGGER! I COULD TELL YOU STORIES!"
Like that.
Ratchet who was on the ground near the Phobos went over the plan with the medical crew being put together. They would rotate out every three joors unless something came up. Until then, they would stand out with the fleet, head through the space bridge to the site in question, then things would be laid out there.
Trigger 1 had already left through a bridge put up by Trigger 2. It was accompanied by the Supreme mechanisms, Salton Sea and Septarian. They would head for the two planets straight away. Behind them would come Clipper, Typhoon and Tennyson. Three other titans would bridge themselves to the locale and form up on the battle plan that Prowl had sent all of them. They would be Hazard, Siren and Fury, a colonial relief vessel that knew how to fight really well. All of them would be stationed at strategic intervals, close enough to come to each other's aid and far enough apart to make a unified line of fire if called upon.
By the time Prime and the others boarded Phobos, Trigger 3 from Saturn Shipyard had arrived, fallen into orbit, then was flown through the bridge projected by Trigger 1 to Sirius and the group waiting there. When everyone including Trigger 2, flights of Seekers and ten battle shuttles went through to The Ruins, Trigger 1 would shut down. That was the signal for Trigger 2 waiting near the two planets to make a bridge through which Trigger 1 could fly and join everyone in their allotted place in the order of flight. Trigger 3 would wait near Sirius to assist the planets when they came. It would be a weird sight to look up and not see them clearly and well day and night or as brightly shining lights in the sky when it got dark.
Three bridges, three battleships, ten battle shuttles, three dreadnoughts, three titans and a boat load of Seekers had gone out to do who knew what. It was going to be mysterious for a while it would seem.
=0=Hourly News with Aleph: Latest Breaking News
"Good evening. I am Aleph and here is the latest news. Several orns ago the rescue of our people living on two planets in the Benzuli Expansion in an area called The Ruins was begun. It involved moving four and a half million of our people from their long term colonies on two different worlds, Sun Base and Homeland. They had been home to this number since The Fall and given its location in the middle of the dangerous energy of the Benzuli was fortunately unmolested all this time.
"Once discovered, they were removed to our colony here on Mars. The area is so volatile with the energy rifts that exist there that it was only a matter of time before an energy stream would erupt and wipe both worlds out. They were brought here and the last refugees came to safety through the Port of Mars early last night. The refugees appear to be healthy, exhausted and hopeful as I was told by a worker at the Port Immigration.
"Given that they were a highly developed colony, there is a lot of tech left behind that must not be allowed to remain. The conundrum for Prime is how to deal with it. If the plan is to blow it up, it would be detrimental to both worlds which are inhabited and beautiful. Plants, animals and ecosystems would be highly adversely impacted if this were the case. Even if one were careful about targeting and destroying that which can't be removed, it would still have a serious negative impact for the planets.
"There is no word what the Prime plans to do but it should be noted that the Triggers, One and Two which are in fixed parking orbits above Autobot City and facilitate the most bridge traffic for our people left by bridge to an unknown location along with Trigger 3 which is in fixed parking orbit of Saturn normally and operates as facilitator at the Saturn Shipyard. It is not known if they are part of the plan to save the two worlds. We have information requests in to the Office of Strategic Communications, Sciences and the Office of the Primes. So far, we have not been given anymore information than we have now.
"It is suggested that ten heavy battle shuttles left with the Triggers. Also, the battleships Salton Sea, Prime's personal vessel and Septarian have left through a bridge. There is word that the dreadnought class vessels Clipper, Tennyson and Typhoon have bridged to the area of the two planets to assist in the plans going forward."
Aleph paused to take a data pad slipped to him by a runner for the show. He read it, then continued. "I have been informed that three titan class ships have been sent for to assist. They are Hazard, Siren and Fury who are on duty along the frontier of Cybertron and the Local Group."
He continued the broadcast adding this and that tidbit as images of the troops entering their ships and the ships lifting off continued. After an interminable length of time, the last one lifted off and flew into the night overhead. The airfield settled almost immediately when it did.
=0=The Residence
They knocked, then the door opened. Inside, Kestrel and Tagg sat reading their books and snacking.
Tagg grinned. "Come in."
Stealth and Styre walked in, greeted Kes, then all sat. Styre looked grave. "They're going to Homeland and Sun Base."
"They want to rescue the planets," Tagg said.
"We should be there to help him," Stealth said with a hint of wretchedness. "We can help him."
"He knows," Kestrel said gently. "If it is necessary, he will call you to come. Miler is with Trigger 1 to be navigator. All will be well. Orion is very good at figuring out difficult things."
"Orion. What a beautiful name," Stealth said. "Your son is a very kind and decent spark. I wish I had been more clear about that back in the orn."
"It was all very awful. But here in this place now we can rebuild the world. Nothing can stop us here," Tagg said. "Let me get you some tea and a snack. We are glad you came. We can catch up on things and plan tomorrow. Orion told us that if things are quiet that he and the others will bridge back for dinner and the children's present opening. I hope he can for every possible reason but that one is dear to my spark," he said as he rose.
"I'll help you, Tagg," Styre said as he rose to follow.
Stealth watched them go, then looked at Kestrel. "May I tell you that anything I might have thought about your son was wrong headed and ill informed. I can tell you, Kestrel, that he is the most fine and decent mech I ever met. You and Tagg raised a very fine son. I am so very honored to be a part of your house."
Kestrel grinned. "We thank you and welcome you."
Stealth sat back in the chair. "What a wonderful world this is. Styre and I have been going everywhere looking at everything. We're trying to recreate our apartment to surprise Prowl. I think he liked coming to our home. I don't think we were as hardcore and dull as Shadow and Zenith."
"Have you met them yet?" Kestrel asked.
"Not yet. I'm not looking forward to it. It was very … disturbing the lead up to The Fall and there is much between us," Stealth said.
"Then you came to the right place to heal," Kes said as Styre and Tagg walked out with drinks and snacks.
They would sit together chatting, laughing and planning the follow few orns together. It would be warm, genuine and happy.
=0=Out there
The ships flew toward Homeland and Sun Base following the flight plan of Prowl and Starscream. They flew in close formation to secure the borders of the area to insure that no one would come forward to see that the two planets were up for grabs without population. They would disperse and come on line, link sensors and take a good deep look around the area. Everything and anything within 200 light years would be mapped and evaluated for threat.
Two Triggers flew with the Phobos and its escort toward the planets where they would establish position to send them to Sirius. The Trigger from Saturn Shipyard was already there with escort to wait for the send. It would take a while before they could.
=0=Ops Center, Sun Base
Wheeljack sat on a chair in front of the main computer of the planet which had been overtaken by Teletraan and would allow Auntie to run the show worldwide here and on Homeland. Perceptor was with the team on Trigger 1 as it flew in its escort toward Sun Base. It would do so with Trigger 2, an amazing sight to see as they flew in formation with the Supremes and a Seeker escort.
Jack went through the procedure with his kids on the Triggers, those on the ground at Sun Base and Homeland as well as those on Trigger 3 which came from Saturn Shipyard to Sirius to help receive the planets. He was speaking as well with his teams on the ground. "Check off Sector 2," he said as the ground teams went through an activation check for the 9,950 field integrity devices that Sun Base as a fully developed planet with an ocean would require to make the transition as smooth as glass.
Hopefully.
It was a variation of bridge transport, what they were going to do. When one went through a bridge or traveled at what the humans called 'warp speed' or through superluminal space as the bots called it, they weren't the objects moving. Sun Base and Homeland wouldn't actually be moving at all. The space around them would. The actual 'moving' objects would be sitting still while space shifted around them. There were mountains of mathematics and physics that explained what the process was and Wheeljack was an expert at such things but to make it simpler, the planets wouldn't move. Their location in space would.
Given that Nova Sentinel Prime and Nova Prime used this tech to move planets, up to thirty thus far found in the archives both on Cybertron and among that of Shockwave, this shouldn't be new to anyone. It was always a success in the archives so they hoped it would be now. If there were any failures they couldn't find them. So maybe this would be a good thing.
Footfalls behind him drew his attention as Shadow and Zenith walked his way. He glanced upward. "Thank you for coming. Those terminals are yours," he said nodding to two computer stations nearby.
"Thank you," Zenith said. "We would be very happy to assist and perhaps learn even more from this. It has been a long time since we partook in a planetary transfer. We concur that your data is up to the task."
"Thank you, Zenith," Wheeljack said as the two mechs took a seat and began to study the information on their terminals. "Feel free to interject."
Zenith nodded. "Thank you for the opportunity to do this again."
=0=On Phobos
Ratchet sat in the command seat of his ship, the medical vehicle Phobos. Everyone else was sitting around including Optimus. Ratchet grinned at him. "Want my throne, O' Messiah of The People?"
Prime grinned. "No. You look comfortable."
Snickers greeted that, then Sideswipe turned to Prime from Tactical. "There's a bridge opening up just outside the perimeter commanded by Typhoon."
=0=TBC 1-10-2020