The Diego Diaries: Bam (dd7 216)
=0=There
The humans lounged in their travel box shooting the breeze with the soldiers. Prowl had it placed on a corner of the command table with the caveat that if they fell off they would bounce pretty high. They said that was okay.
The lunatics.
The table tech spread out before them was outstanding and as they sat by their window they could see the picture outside in space on the many detailed data maps in several forms. Some showed actual images and others used different colored dots to delineate everyone and everything. They could raise maps showing each item down to dust motes outside as they flew through the rough dirty area bumping asteroids and other debris away with the ship's shields.
It was at that moment that a sound indicating pretender gear was heard. Everyone glanced down the deck to see Typhoon and Clipper appear. They walked toward the table together.
Ratchet grinned. "You look fit. Good thing the gear fix wasn't critical. Being plugged into the ship grounded you a bit when the bolt hit you. That was one of the few places that didn't fry."
"Thank you, Ratchet," Clipper said. "It is good to be back."
Typhoon nodded to Ratchet, relief still visible on his face. "The group is moving to follow, Prime. We expect the slaggers to give pursuit as a group."
Ratchet signed to Prime as he listened.
Prime said, "We expect that they will. It would be helpful if we could have one of their ships to deconstruct. I am disquieted over the extent that our tech has been reworked by them for their benefit. That energy pulse weapon is a new one on me."
Typhoon nodded. "I've seen them before but none that is that concentrated. Apparently it takes a lot of ships to generate that much power to harm someone like us. I'm thinking that they have a database of our arsenal and used it to formulate it since our last meeting. They appear to be undaunted by us and they now have a weapon in place to hurt us. That means they learned from their last encounters and counter-measured."
Prime considered that. "I would agree," he said glancing at a stern looking Prowl. "What is the status of the group thus far, Prowl?"
Prowl turned to the array before him with the humans as an audience. He worked it out, then began to speak to Prime off line, cutting everyone in including the men. :They have their scout group following. I'd like when we're one or two jumps ahead to retrieve them. If we get one ship then we get data. As for the others, they're beginning their jumps now. They've broken their armada into several smaller groups built around an offensive posture. They want each group to be able to fight when they bridge in just in case they get caught again:
Prime considered that, then glanced at Clipper. "How are you feeling, Clipper? Are you still under the weather?"
Clipper straightened. :I am well, Prime. Command me:
Prime considered the two. "I wish to know how you really are, Clipper. We have many titans here to utilize against them. I wish to know how you are, really and truly."
Clipper stared at him, then Ratchet. :I am below prime efficiency at the moment. However, I can reroute all of my secondary functions to operations. I am able to fight and maneuver, though I will relent to tell you that my speed will be less than optional. However," he said taking a step closer, his expression one of great seriousness. "I am yours to command:
Prime glanced at a pensive Typhoon, then Clipper. "I would like to know your top running speed. I would like to know what you can do without discomfort or pain. I would be very uneasy asking from you what you cannot give without harming yourself. Your honor is not at issue here, Clipper. That is always assured."
Clipper stared at him a moment. :I can run at 70% of capacity. We can, as I have calculated get three bridge jumps ahead of them at that rate. Given all things being equal, we can maintain it as well:
Prime glanced at Prowl. "Organize the group around the safest running speed for Clipper. I want a plan to take a ship from them if we can, though we are hampered by the lack of bridges to command any move we might make. We need to move onward." He glanced at Blaster. "Any word from Wheeljack?"
Blaster checked, then glanced at Prime. "The situation is same. The inner core of Homeland is taking time to settle. They understand the situation here and its urgency."
"Very well," Prime said. "Please make the changes then, gentlemen."
Clipper and Typhoon bowed, then derezzed back to Clipper's frame. The bridge crew began to organize their part of the plan as Prowl outlined it to them.
Epps, Graham and Lennox watched the crew work, then glanced at Prime. He was staring at the forward monitor with his usual serious intensity.
"He really got slammed," Epps said. "I counted four bullet holes or maybe they're shrapnel wounds. He's got a few dings, he's deaf, his arm looks tender ... he limped, maybe with both legs … he has to be hurting."
Lennox nodded. "I wish everyone could see this. There's no damned way we can take them on alone. He was blown up what? 600 feet? No way we'd survive facing them alone."
"What about this new group? If they have weapons strong enough to take down a dreadnought, what hope do we have against them if they ever find us?" Graham asked.
"None," Lennox said grimly.
=0=Mr. Terradive's classroom
Mr. Bento had just left following the end of history class and its presentation concerning the run up to the Great War. Terradive looked at his students. "I'm reasonably sure that everyone in this room knows someone who was a soldier or involved in the peace movement during the run up to The Fall. I want you as your writing assignment for the next two decaorns to interview at least one individual who can tell you their story about it. If you want to include others, then that's excellent. We have a living history trove all around us that includes elders from the Living History Project at the Museum that you can talk to. I want you to do this over a period of time so we can organize, troubleshoot and work out the questions and interviews during writing class. Understand?"
Everyone did. Everyone had their ideas about who they would ask. For some of them, all of their individuals were with the fleet right now.
"Alright," Terradive said. "Get ready for lunch then."
It was noisy and happy as they complied.
=0=Around the colony about the same time
"How's it going over your way, Carly?" Cynthia Tomas asked as she sat in her office working on things. She had to clarify a mutual meeting time with Carly so she rang her up.
"We're back on line. Striker is still not all there yet but he's functioning again. Nothing went awry with this event but him. Right now, we're just hopeful that he can come back on line without too much harm to himself. Victorious has picked up the slack and the Energon Chamber is helping, too."
"I feel odd about this mission," Cynthia said. "It's not just that they can move planets, though that's stupendous on its own. It just seems like this opponent might be tougher than the others we've run into and I don't like it."
Carly nodded as she sat in her office in City Hall in Unidad. "I know. Seeing Prime hurt and finding out that Ironhide and Lissie are still in the hospital … that's not comforting a bit."
"I hope they come home soon. It feels weird when Prime and the others aren't around. Springer came by to check with things. Apparently, the young kids are still pretty teed off that The Strip was down so long. Errant youth," she said with a grin. "I like Springer and Drift."
Carly grinned. "I do, too. They're the cutest couple. It'll be good to have everyone home."
"When did this place become home for you, Carly?" Cynthia asked.
"The moment I set foot on it," Carly replied.
Cynthia grinned. "Same here for me."
=0=Command Deck, Tennyson
"I find it interesting that missing planets haven't showed them down a bit," Ratchet said as he lounged in a chair at the table. He was playing poker with the humans, him internally and them on their phones. He was winning, actually. They owed him a lot of Oreos. "There is no indication that they were destroyed or wandered off. There really is only one conclusion available even if it feels far fetched. Yet, they don't seem to be deterred. I would run fast the other way if I came across this."
"Well, you would," Prowl replied grimly. He glanced at Ratchet with a slight smirk. "Consider that a compliment."
"If you say so, Granny Pants," Ratchet replied with a big smile. He glanced smugly at the humans. "I win again. Deal the cards, gerbils."
The humans snickered, then dealt the cards. Bets were placed as Ratchet watched the map. The slaggers were on their way but the fleet was pulling ahead. He glanced at Prime. :Three jumps are enough?:
Prime glanced at him, then shrugged. "It seems reasonable."
Ratchet nodded, then looked at his cards. He grinned. :Ante up, mice. Mama feels lucky:
He would be.
=0=Around the fleet
"Prime wants four of us to be ready to grab someone if it comes up," Hercy said as he sat in the navigator's seat in his shuttle talking to Kup on the monitor. Blackjack, Raptor and Turbine were part of the split screen calling in from their own. "I figure he wants to see how much tech they have from Sun Base."
"Enough to develop a defense against dreadnoughts," Raptor said as he sat at a gun turret. "Fraggers know where Cybertron is. We have to build up defenses there against them or move Cybertron and the local group fast."
"I would love to see it moved. Floating through space is weird and eventually the local group will either fall behind or go their merry ways. We have to do this faster," Turbine said as he sat in the engineer's seat of his shuttle. "By the way, Ratchet let me in on a secret. You have to promise me you won't tell. On your oaths."
Everyone murmured compliance, then Turbine grinned. "Infant can return to duty but he hasn't told Ironhide. He had to be there for a couple of orns for his hurts but his data checks out that he's fine and has been for a while. Ratchet isn't going to let him loose until he gets back to fix Lissie's servo. He figures it is his duty to stay with her and keep her company."
Huge grins met that news.
"Good," Raptor said with a chuckle. "I think its the least little mech can do given how he dragged her all over the place to look at every pebble and shell on the beach all those vorns."
Everyone murmured agreement. It served his big little aft right.
=0=A hospital room on Mars
They played cards, winning and losing to each other as they passed the time. A huge stack of Oreos fronted both players.
"What ya got, infant?" Lissie asked.
He showed her and it was a good hand.
Hers was better. She popped an Oreo into her mouth as she raked in the pot.
"It think you cheat," Ironhide said with a slight frown. He ate a few of his own chips, then began to shuffle the cards.
"Don't tell me no one ever taught you how to count cards, little mech?" Lissie asked with surprise.
He stared at her with his own. "You cheat?" he asked incredulously.
She grinned at him. "You're so cute. Never change, infant. Toss me another beer."
Ironhide reached into the cooler they hid under her berth. He grinned as he opened it for her. "Slagger. No wonder I never grew up to be good."
Lissie laughed, then sipped her beer. "Deal the cards, infant. Auntie feels lucky."
She would be.
=0=TBC 2-23-2020 4-1-2020