The Diego Diaries: Hide and Seek (dd7 188)
=0=Out there at Homeland
They bridged to Omega, then settled on the flight deck. On the screen before them was a bridge that flared open and three ships flew out. They bore the same markings as ships of the Vergo Confederation. They were sleek, fast appearing and heavily armed. It would appear that they were coming to look around.
"There is no acknowledgment, Optimus," Prowl said. He glanced at the forward screen. "These are medium scale fighters, bear about 58% of the markers for Cybertronian tech and can do damage if they engage. They're still not in our league but they aren't far off." Prowl was grim and so was everyone else.
"Open a channel." Prime sat on the command chair staring at the screen and the data that lined up beside the picture of things outside.
"The channel is open, Prime," Blaster said as he glanced at the forward screen.
"Unknown vessels, this is Optimus Prime of the Empire of Cybertron. Identify yourselves and state your purpose," he said coldly. Images of dead babies filled his processor as he waited.
It took a moment but someone spoke in very passable Cybertronian, hat is, they did or their translators. "This is Medios of Rampant IV, home world of the Hur-Gon people, a partner in the Vergo Alliance. Why are you here and what happened to our trading partners at Sun Base?" The voice was low and firm.
"I do not have to explain my presence. I am asking you to state your purpose," Prime repeated.
It was very tense and silent as everyone waited, then a message with video incoming was had. Prime glanced at Blaster. "Put it up but don't return the favor of images. I don't want to complicate this by reminding them of who I am."
An image of a short individual appeared on the screen, one who was familiar from an earlier terrible encounter. He was a Hur-Gon, a small alien humanoid. Though small and improbable appearing, they were very strong, could run fast over short distances, had a large helm and smaller body proportionally and were very smart. They had large dark eyes and if the humans were here they would call them small Greys, though they weren't that species. "I am Medios. I lead this trade delegation to go to Sun Base. It is scheduled through the Technology Guild of Sun Base and our own trade organization. I am seeking safe passage to the meeting."
He stared at the screen, his large dark eyes never blinking as he waited. "I would like to know why you do not exchange images. I would like to see who I am talking to."
"It is not in our practice to do so among the elite leadership of our people. I am here to tell you that I am inspecting this colony. We received a distress signal from them stating that they had a highly infectious virus in the population. It and the other planet are in quarantine until we find out what this is and how to stop it. You will not be allowed to proceed further. I would suggest you leave and await an all clear call before coming back." Prime watched the alien as he absorbed the news.
"Very well," Medios finally said. "We will be leaving."
Prime watched as the ships slowly came about, then waited for a bridge to re-appear. When it did, they flew through and were gone. Prime turned to Wheeljack and Perceptor who were nearby working out the sensor readings of the encounter. "What can you tell me, Perceptor? Wheeljack?"
'Jack glanced at him. "They have our tech. They have a pretty good modified space bridge. It isn't for great distances. I suspect that this is the outer limits of its capability but its solid. There's other tech of ours on their ships including some of the weapons systems. I don't remember them having it when we encountered them the last time during the Functionalist stand off. It would appear that they've either innovated with our gear or leveled up through trade."
"We're going to get shot with our own stuff," Ironhide said as he sat between two of his grandfathers. "Frag that."
Prime nodded. "They left but something tells me they will be back. When they figure out I am the figure from their last encounter, they will return with a vengeance."
It was silent.
Then Raptor stood. "Well, they can get slagged again."
Prime rose and faced him. "I'll leave the design of that to you. If Primus is willing, we can move Homeland shortly and be done with this area." He began to walk to the bridge nearby with everyone following him.
Omega and the others would stay vigilant right here.
=0=Ops Center, Homeland
They began to leave, everyone of the senior team but Prowl and Ratchet. They would stay to monitor the situation, then come home the next orn to allow two others to stay. Ratchet and Prowl watched them go, then looked at each other.
"Well, here we are." Ratchet sat heavily, then put his peds up. "If I drift off into recharge, don't wake me."
Prowl sat, then grinned. "I will."
It would be pleasantly quiet in Ops Center for a while.
=0=Home
They snuck in, almost all of them, checking kids, this and that or the mail, then walked to the berth room to crash. Dogs, kids, cows and twinkling lights were checked out, then beddy-by beckoned. It would be deeply quiet in a number of domiciles for the night.
=0=Trigger 1
Miler had retired to the officer's quarters on the device and was taking a few joors rest. The senior crew was rotating duties while Wheeljack and Perceptor worked both here and on the situation at Homeland. Bridging here and there, leaving Resolve with the command crew as he slept, they were and would be busy all night.
Everything thus far was good. The planet was holding together beautifully with minimal inner core turbulence. Nothing sentient on the ground could tell beyond nervous colonies of small furry creatures here and there that anything was amiss.
The sun side was having morning and it would last until they freed the planet given that it was turning very very slowly inside the containment field. When it was released it would return to its normal rotation again. It would be day for a while on one side and night on the other much longer than it would be ordinarily.
The debris in the area was minimal as both suns had not attracted enough to make planets. Most of it had continued onward or crashed into their fiery confines. It was a good location, Sirius A and B, less than nine light years from Earth and Mars.
A ship could do that without bridging in three to four joors.
Win-win.
=0=Ops Center, Homeland
"I'm picking up ship traffic, Commander," a Home Guard mech said. "It's ship-to-ship communications."
"Can you pick up what they're saying?" Prowl asked.
"No. Its just far away, appears to be multiple ship communication and that's all I can detect," he replied.
"Continue to monitor it. Tell me if it changes. If you can capture it, run it through translation and give it to me, I would be obliged."
"On it, Commander," the young mech said.
=0=Morning
They arose, those that were at home. The children were readied for school, then taken by elders to their buses and cabs. The older kids were helpful and promised to help later that orn when school was out. They weren't going to the club until everyone was home.
It took a while to convince them to go, that the Military Daycare at The Fortress was a good spot for the kids and all would be well. They reluctantly agreed, then boarded their bus for school.
Prime and Ironhide watched them go, then walked toward The Fortress. The elders were on their way to their districts on Cybertron. But for the new situation and Prowl and Ratchet at Homeland, it would be like any other orn.
That is it would if you had missed a favored holiday with the kids. All was fragged. They disappeared into the morning foot traffic as they sauntered onward.
=0=On a corner near an apartment tower in Iacon, Primal Colony of Mars
He watched the tower having located it through a convoluted search through directories. Like all police and officers of the courts, it was harder to find home locations though numbers were listed same as everyone else in directories. It had taken a bit of hacking but he found his mark.
The sidewalks were busy with pedestrians as the traffic on the streets passed by. Everyone was going to work, to shop, to take kids to school. It was familiar, urban and comforting. It had been a long time since he was at home anywhere let alone a real Cybertronian city.
He watched the tower, noted that the time for him coming off shift had arrived. Walking to the metro, he headed toward The City and more intel about his mark...
*He had breakfast at the same diner every morning when coming off shift.
*He ate with anywhere between five and fifteen mechs and femmes depending on things.
*They had the usual breakfast foods, laughed and enjoyed themselves, then left to walk to The Fortress to check in.
After that, he was off duty until evening came again, was in the courts doing follow ups or on missions. He liked to go to the dojo and hang out, be at home or at work in the office in Metrotitan.
He clung to a strap as the train zinged along, then walked up with everyone else when they departed the station. It was cold and sunny outside as he walked toward The Diner On The Corner. Staking out a spot nearby where he could watch, Cog the Tracker, Cog the Stalker, Cog the slightly mental watched as a group of Night Watchmen walked across the street after dropping off their horses to go to breakfast in the diner.
Springer was among them. So was the poseur that was supposed to be his bond. That was a lie and an inconvenience for sure. But that was for later. Right now he had to figure out the lay of the land, then hook up with Springer when he did. They were meant for each other. They were, he thought as he watched the big mech walk into the building to disappear from view.
He would wait until Springer came out, follow him and note his routine, then eventually he would hook up and they'd be on again.
He leaned against a light pole and waited.
He was a patient mech, Our Cog.
=0=Ops Center, Homeland
Ratchet sat on a chair fast into recharge, his joints locked so he wouldn't slide off. His peds were resting on another chair as he sat dulled and silent in sleep.
Prowl was nodding off as he watched a data pad slowly fill with data about the solar system around them. He was ready to fall on his face as he waited for food and drinks to arrive. He remembered sending the order to The Fortress. He hoped it would come soon. He was ready to do a header into the floor.
=0=At a Pioneer School at Show and Tell
"THEN I GOT THIS!" Hero pulled her little Yoda baby out of a carry pack that Amma Lo-Lo got for her. Alor decided that given she would probably drag the little baby around, he had a small bag made for it that Hero could manage.
Every kid in the room stared at it with shock, then squealed.
=0=At Youngling Day during Show and Tell
"My Uncle Ironhide helped Santa Ironhide get this for me," Spirit said as he showed his baby Yoda dollie. He was nearly trembling with excitement. "ISN'T HE GREAT!?"
"YES! HE IS!" -everyone there including Mr. Terradive
A moment later in the same room …
"THAT'S WHEN UNCLE IRONHIDE AND UNCLE PRIME CALLED AND WE TALKED! ISN'T HE CUTE?!" -Annabelle Lennox showing her own tinier baby Yoda dollie.
"HE IS!" -everyone there and still including Mr. Terradive
About a joor later …
Two tiny Yoda baby dolls lay on his desk, their big optics closed in 'sleep'. Given that they were testing today to see what still needed 'fixing', the two little babies were confiscated to 'nap' on his desk so that everyone would pay attention. He loved it. The only thing better were the little 'transformer' cars that the kids would fiddle with in class.
He grinned.
Transformers.
All would be well with Terradive of Vos.
=0=TBC 1-21-2020