The Diego Diaries: Bam (dd7 209)
=0=There
They came through a bridge, a seemingly endless stream of ships that were big, well armed and of the same profile of the ones just destroyed. Prime watched them on a monitor that was finally brought to life by Ratchet's deep diagnostic of Clipper. As he did Typhoon called in.
:Typhoon to Prime. Instructions please, Lord Optimus: he asked formally.
:Stand by, General: Prime replied. He glanced at Ratchet. "We cannot remove Clipper from this sector now, Ratchet?"
"Only in an emergency," Ratchet said. "We need the shuttles to bring him to a minimal state of refueling." He glanced at Prime. "I would have a titan stand by to pull us out of here on an emergency footing."
"Typhoon," Prime said. "We need a titan nearby who can grab Clipper and pull him out of here in the worst case scenario."
:It's done: Typhoon said as a huge ship, Bleak, pulled out of the line up to move back to Clipper.
Bleak flew past Clipper, then swung around to halt behind him with his guns and torpedo tubes lined up with the group that was forming together to rush at them again.
"Prime to Typhoon."
:Command me, Lord Optimus:
"We are going to assist Clipper to bring him out of his state. I give you discretion to defend us. Do not let them strike us again. I am going to send Hard Drive and Delphi to assist. All of the fleet is under your joint command," Prime said.
:Understood. Until all are one: Typhoon said then signed out, though the overall conversation was still being fed to the command group on Clipper through their internal communications line.
=0=Home
It was dark in a good third of the colony as Jetta and Magnus flew through the bridge. Triangulating online with the Emergency Command Center which had moved to the Ops Center, they flew swiftly to the airfield, landed, then sprinted toward The Fortress. They crossed the courtyard, then hurried through the rec room to enter the Ops Center. It was filled with the leadership of the colony's defense, infrastructure and department heads.
"We need to know what is known," Magnus said as he halted by the command desk with Jetta.
Inferno who was coordinating things held the pad that was receiving real time data about the situation. He began to explain. "We've had a mass power failure of some of the titan cities. All of them went down together at 2201 hours on the TMC. They're as far as we've discovered Metroplex, Fort Max, Titan, Metrobon, Gambian, Veritas, Retriarius and Striker who live on world as well as Cool Breeze, Emirate, Peacekeeper and Immaculate who live on Cybertron. We just heard that Amity who's a hospital site on Gliese is also dark."
"We were attacked by a new weapon at the transfer site. It threw Clipper off line and those titans who were present on board in Pretender gear were derezzed back to the deck here, or so Ratchet has deduced. Tell me the danger to anyone who lives with them," Magnus said.
"Striker was the biggest first concern," Inferno said. "The habitat couldn't be allowed to fail. Victorious and Striker, because they're working together to make Unidad have cross safeties built in to their combination. If one goes down the other picks up enough slack to keep structural integrity. They've integrated their systems in their transformation so that this is a fail safe for the habitat. Right now, Unidad functions at 75% of its maximal power with Victorious drawing extra fuel from the power station developed the last time this happened. No one is in danger of the habitat becoming a problem unless Victorious fails and if what you say is true, that only the titans on Clipper were affected, then we're safe for now with them.
"Metroplex is down and so is the hospital, though its independent systems are on emergency power. The computer and data systems which rely on Metroplex to route through his central nexus core connected to Teletraan can't be accessed. Until he's alert again, its down. The same is true for Metrotitan. He's dead in the water but his emergency systems are working. This is a strange failure. Its like they don't have any input at all. What kind of stasis is this if it is stasis?"
Magnus shrugged. "Ratchet said Clipper was in some kind of deep stasis from electrocution. Apparently the aliens in the Benzuli have figured out how to knock out a titan by shooting them with a light source of some kind. He's trying to bring Clipper up to speed but its going to take time."
"Frag," Inferno said. "Metrobon in the District, Gambian, Veritas and Retriarius in the Eight Ball are out. Amity on Gliese is being run on emergency power with assists from Consolation who's working to help bring him back on line. They have their operation covered and are routing new patients to the other three titans there.
"Cool Breeze and Emirate are part of the local group's transport and manufacturing. They were in orbit around Vassal II when they went out. They're being assisted by a naval group and are being held them in space out of orbit so they don't decay and fall. Peacemaker is out. His operation stopped dead. He's the titan that handles the rescue and recovery of all the sites where artifacts are found. He's a historian and archaeologist so he had that job near Altihex. Immaculate is out. He makes steel and housing at the south pole. All of them are being monitored. No one has a clue. I sent the list to Wheeljack, Perceptor and Ratchet."
"Drift, Springer and Perceptor should be here shortly. Right now, we have to take stock of what's going on with the residents and those who were out and about when this happened," Magnus said.
"I think you better give an address, Magnus," Jetta said. "It might help if we calm everyone down. When Ratchet gets Clipper on line he's going to come back and help with the titans. He's in contact with Helio who's a doctor and member of the eleven titans we just recovered. He told me to tell you to maintain order and calm everyone. He's going to be here shortly."
Magnus considered that, then walked to the command table to sit. "Come here, Jetta and help me compose a message for the people."
Jetta walked over to sit along with Inferno. Together they crafted a message to be broadcast to everyone in the colony.
=0=There
They flooded in, ship after ship. Flying forward, it was evident that they were going to make another line up.
Optimus watched them, then glanced at Prowl. "Have everyone target the new ships right away. Have them ready to fire, then open a channel, Prowl."
Prowl nodded, then a flurry of activity happened. At last, he glanced at Optimus. :The channel is open:
"Very well," Prime said. "Put the audio through to me off line."
Prowl programmed his request, then turned a pensive expression to the forward screen.
"This is Optimus Prime, leader of Sun Base and Homeland, two colonies in my domain. I am asking you to stand down and leave before this becomes something that you will regret. Respond."
It was silent, then a voice was heard. "This is our space. You will leave or suffer the consequences."
Then the light began to form and spread swiftly.
Prime watched it, then opened a channel to the fleet. "Fire."
Almost immediately, dozens of torpedoes and plasma fire erupted toward the line. The ships there broke off and began to move. It was too late for nearly all of them. The torpedoes struck hard and fireballs erupted to wink out nearly immediately. Ships swerved away but were caught and exploded. It seemed to take forever but it was over in seconds. It was silent on the command deck.
Prime stared at the screen then punched a button. "Typhoon, what do you read?"
A pause was had, then Typhoon answered. "There are no ships intact and no survivors, Prime," he said as Prowl continued to sign to Prime.
Optimus felt angst suffuse him, something that he was glad was still possible after all the vorns he had been a soldier leading armies into battles. Yet, the same feelings of futility came as well, the feelings of failure that situations like this always engendered. He sat back and glanced at Ratchet who was working on an open panel. "What is the situation, Ratchet?"
He glanced at Prime. "We're getting there. Do you think they broadcast the results of their actions here? I wonder how many will come through to their slaughter before they shake things up. By the way, we have Seekers sprawled all over the decks. We can haul them out when we have a moment. It'll take a medic to kick start them again. They were electrocuted as well."
Prime nodded. "Very well." He thought a moment then tapped the communications link. "Prime to Typhoon."
:Typhoon here:
"Ratchet is making progress with Clipper," he said. "We have to hold them off if they come again and we have to assume that they will know their tactic is being managed by us. Be prepared for anything."
:Understood. Our sensors indicate that they're waiting for the last jump for more ships to arrive. They must have some indication that their strategy needs adjustment:
"I would agree," Prime said grimly. "You have tactical command."
:Understood. Typhoon out:
=0=Torus State
They sat around the command deck, the big frames, Hardie and Delphi.
Hardie glanced at Typhoon. "I think that all of you who don't have a format out here need to go back to Mars. If you're hit for whatever reason, Torus, then everyone here in pretender gear will go off line not just here but home as well."
They considered that, then shook their helms.
"You're right but I feel like I'm shirking if I do," Hammer said.
"I could ask Prime to order it. Would that help?" Delphi asked with a grin.
Hammer smirked at him, an altogether handsome sight. "You play dirty."
"All is fair in love and war," Delphi said. "I love you too much to see you hurt."
"And you?" Veritas asked.
"We're tough," Delphi replied. "Besides, maybe you can help bring the others up to speed if you're there. Ask Ratchet to download what he knows in a data wafer, Consolation. You can use it because you're a medic. He said something about going on line to assist things at home but right now he has to get Clipper out of the line of fire."
"Hammer of Primus to Prime."
:Prime here:
"Commander Delphi suggested that unless we have a physical presence here that we need to go back to Mars before we risk the possibility that they strike Torus."
There was a pause, then Prime was back. :That is a good suggestion, gentlemen. Return to Mars. We intend to come as soon as possible. Magnus and Jetta have prepared at statement for broadcast. I would like you to go out and calm everyone. There's a number of areas where the locals are demanding to know what is happening. I need you to calm the waters:
"We are on it, Prime. Hammer of Primus, out." He looked at the others, then Typhoon. "What do you need, brother?"
"I'm working on it," Typhoon said with a grim expression. "Help at home. I'll do my part here. Until all are one."
The group stood. "Until all are one," they said, then they derezzed. They would arrive on Mars in seconds through the relays and a bridge that Typhoon called for them. They would appear on the platform of Metroplex in front of the hospital. Nearby, a group of mechs were gathered in front of The Fortress. That would be the first place they would go.
=0=There
They watched the sensors and the data map as it displayed the data flowing in. A big group of large ships were gathered at the spot the bots had determined was the last bridge jump they would have to attempt to get to the place where they would see the Autobot's armada. As they watched the ships gather, Typhoon and Hardie with Delphi's assistance were repositioning their fleet to deliver another blow to the slaggers. As they did, Delphi glanced up at Hardie. "Here they come," he said quietly.
=0=TBC 2-15-2020 2-15-2020 For optimusprime101 :D