The Diego Diaries: Dogged (dd7 211)
Sorry about last night. Family things. I threw in a surprise at the end. Sorry that I can't figure out how to add diacritical marks to the words that need them. HUGS! (Inscrutable is our universe, and time.)
=0=Command Deck, Tennyson
Prime watched on the screen as ships moved into position, the titans Slammer and Sport moving gingerly through the configuration to take up places at the aft sector of Clipper's rescue formation. The battle hardened Torus State moved past Tennyson heading for the lead while Camo, another warrior would break trail for the entire progression. Clarity would follow with the Supremes while the shuttles, the two battleships and two cruisers would take up station on each side of the silent vessel.
Tennyson would follow Torus State and in its wake make it easier as well for everyone to follow. It would also be able to tow Clipper if it was needed, though the stresses right now by the three designated to the job were considered optimal for his condition.
Prowl was coordinating the effort at the command table, working with his usual intense and furious precision while once in a while throwing him a gaze.
Prime glanced around in his cocoon of silence watching everyone work with precision. It was strange to see it this way though the bridge was often noisy lol with Sideswipe or someone equally as chatty serving on the shift. His banter and contrarian personality always kept the conversation flowing then.
Prime sat back to consider the situation as it fell out. If they fled down The Narrows it would entice the Vergons to follow at some point and the inevitable discovery of Mars would come to pass sooner rather than later. He wondered how big and numerous they were, these clever innovative aliens who worked together with an admirable sense of purpose and unity. Apparently, they also believed in the concept of all being one.
Right now, they had to move out. The data flowing in wasn't good. A very massive group would come through this time. Apparently the previous groups had told of their plight somehow before they died. Now the others were coming with a bigger hammer and a better motivation to their actions.
:We're in line and ready to go: Prowl said.
The command team had transferred from Clipper to Tennyson. All of the giants still here, those whose vessel bodies were part of the formation had retired to their own format to help with maneuvers and defense. Tennyson, himself was with Ratchet on Clipper. Prime would command the massive dreadnought.
Prime nodded to Prowl, then opened a channel to the fleet. "This is Optimus Prime. We are going to leave this space. We will defend Clipper through the orders of battle constructed by Hard Drive, Typhoon and coordinated by Prowl. Omega, Kappa and Beta, link sensors at the rear of this group and feed data directly to Prowl on Tennyson and Typhoon and Hard Drive on Torus State. We are go now," he said.
It took a moment to feel it through the floor, the movement of a ship fifteen miles long. It came to him as he sat brooding on their situation as he stared at the monitors forward which displayed the jaw dropping spectacle of their armada. It would take a while to get up to speed but when they did they would enter a field of comets, planetary fragments, asteroids and other flotsam of space to disappear into the darkness and dust.
=0=Home
The crowds walked to the stations that were still running, the ones farthest away from Metroplex and Fort Max among others. They were crowded as were the cab stands around the cities. Buses were still running, children going here and there to their schools and commerce continued though slower. The roads were heavy with traffic steered through their journeys with temporary traffic light systems set up by Public Works. The mass of travelers would arrive where they would go albeit later than usual but arrive nonetheless. Many were the workers who hopped the overland trains to the different work sites and the Industrial Park Cities.
It would go on like this for some time.
=0=IntraCom
"We can offer the update at 1400 joors," Jazz said as he sat in his office coordinating new data coming in. Prowl had flagged what could go out and what couldn't. It was imperative that the status of the fleet be reported for the well being of the families. The last thing they needed to do was worry about what was happening to their loved ones. "I'll be going full call in today on !*The Jazz and Blaster Show*!. I think its time to take a measure of the city and what folks think," he said to his assistant, Boyce and Revet who had stopped in to find out the schedule.
"I think that would help a lot, Jazz," Revet said as he rose to hustle out. "I'll let you know if Blaster checks in."
"I'll let you know if he does, too," Jazz said with a chuckle. He would spend a few joors compiling information to be released through the Office of Strategic Information as the Chief Information Officer of the Autobots, then hustle to the studio for the afternoon show.
=0=On the pad
They rode through the cities watching for problems, resolving many as they worked at it without taking more than a dinner break all night. It was now mid morning in the colony and things were still up in the air. They were heading for the habitats down the highway as the traffic thinned out a bit. There had been fights and arguments, some friction between former Decepticons and a few hot heads over in Denton in the Seven Cities West.
They loped along, then galloped down the road to Earth 1. Waiting for them at the door, watching as the small group of mechs rode up on astonishingly life-like metallic horses, they waved at Springer, Drift, Lon, Bezel and Partition who was with them on his orn off.
Lancer was with the fleet.
Dismounting, they walked to the door, then entered. When the habitat equalized, they walked inside, then Springer knelt before the mob waiting for him. "Hi. How's it going?"
"I was going to ask you that myself," Brandon Clark said as the others murmured and nodded agreement. "What can we do to help you, Springer?"
Springer grinned. "What you're doing now helps best. Stay inside and live your life. What's the temperature in the human community about this?"
"Everyone is concerned for the titans. We hope it all works out for them. We're nervous about that. We hope the fleet comes home in one piece," Brandon said. "You were with them, right?"
Springer nodded. "I was. Don't worry about it. Half the movable arsenal over two miles long is with Prime."
"Then maybe you can tell us how you moved two planets," someone asked from the crowd, a scientist almost breathless with excitement and awe.
Springer glanced at him, then grinned. "Which one?" he asked as the mechs with him smirked.
=0=At the site of calamity
They began to jump in large groups, the largest that their bridges could handle. Coming out with guns ready and torpedoes in tubes, they began to form lines against an enemy that could be read as traces if not by sight. More came, more and more until an enormous group of very tough, heavily armed ships filled the area. When the last flew in, they formed up in a long line of destructive force. A small group flew outward heading into the darkness to find Sun Base. The others followed closely.
=0=Fleet
:Omega to Prime:
"Prime here."
:They came through their bridges. The group is vast. Their capabilities strong. They are heading toward the system of Homeland and Sun Base:
"Understood. Monitor them, Omega. Everyone in the armada, be ready to fight. Prime out:
They flew into the cavalcade of destruction from the early universe with their guns and sights trained to the rear of their route.
=0=Scouts
They flew with great care toward the place where they knew their allies lived. Behind them thundering along in a battle formation, the Vergon armada followed. They would roll in just as the scout group did. When they arrived, it wouldn't be at all what they expected.
=0=On a galactic plane outside the range of understanding … working out a problem that had nothing to do with Optimus Prime … mostly ...
"That was a nice pass, brother."
"Thank you, Vector. I try," Prima said to the amusement of those with them.
"Shrouding this world from both menaces … that was rather ingenuous. I'm unclear about the point, though. You know that the ones you fancy are going to lose to the lesser beings. Its one of those 'win the battles, lose the war' situations. Correct?" Solus Prime asked her brother, Prima.
He glanced at her. "I created the fall back world for them, one the others cannot follow. I do believe this will help everyone on both sides when my dear ones finally leave for it. Those that I love do have a debt to repay this planet and this is the plan they must follow."
"It's good that Megatron did not sense them, nor the Borg," Micronus said as he glanced at Onyx. "How do you like the Borg now?"
Onyx frowned at his brother and deepest most personal friend. "I didn't create them. I just found them ... interesting. For a while. Mostly."
Micronus laughed. "Well … I would have hated to see either species harm this world," he said staring at a blue jewel surrounded by white clouds. "I do rather love this world as well, Prima, though the infection of Megatronus has found even its shores, alas."
Prima frowned. "One is only allowed so much latitude to work, brother. It was bound to happen. One cannot know the light if you've never seen the dark."
"Latitude? Latitude to meddle don't you mean?" Vector asked as he glanced from the complex timepiece in his servo to his impetuous brother.
Prima frowned at him. "You should encourage other interests, Vector. You would see why I like them so much, these elder beings."
Vector squinted at the beautiful planet before them, one that was now free of the specter of the Borg and Megatron who were fading into the distance in a shoot out of some consequence. "I do believe Megatron will never run out of targets among the bio-mechanicals. It rather serves them both right, I would say. I do agree that it would have been a shame for either of them to find this place. The species that you favor, Prima, of them I approve. The others … hmmm."
Prima grinned. "The others … we shall see how it ends." With that, he faded and they followed one and a few at a time.
=0=Below at the same time
He stood on his balcony staring at the silvery moon overhead. It was quiet but he felt something old and deep around him. The stars filled the sky, the jewels of Elbereth. He was lost in his reverie when she came to stand beside him.
"They are here among us," she said in her soft voice.
He gazed at her beauty in the light of the moon, then nodded. "I feel something deep."
"As do I," Galadriel said. "I feel the presence of Manwe."
Celeborn nodded. "I do as well," he said, then glanced into the warm glow of his home.
It was a palace on a flet, a platform high in the sky, nestled into the massive mallorn trees that made this forest such a magical and wondrous place. His son-in-law, Elrond of Imladris, his daughter, Celebrian and their three grandchildren were here to spend the holidays. Dinner was waiting in the comfort of his beautiful house. He grinned at his wife. "Dinner and family await."
She grinned, then kissed him softly. "Everything else we shall put aside for a while," she said as she took his arm.
They walked into the building to family, friends and love. Outside, the moon traversed the sky as inscrutable as ever.
Night had come to the glorious woods of Lothlorien.
=0=TBC 2-18-2020. Edited 2-18-2020