The Diego Diaries: Moving Onward Anyway (dd8 699) NOT EDITED YET! READER BEWARE! LOL!
This was supposed to go out last night. :(
HERE WE GO!
=0=Getting on
Ratchet walked into the apartment to hugs and relief.
"What's the word, Amma?" a grim-faced Quadrus asked. All around him were his tall brothers while the elders sat on couches and chairs in obvious comfort. The babies were in their beds with animals. None of them were laying in the big bed by the window.
"The word is live," Ratchet said. "We go this covered ten ways to Sunday as the humans like to say."
"Ammas and Appas told us that we have a few more duties on the DMZ, mostly sensor and tactical," Saber said. "We can fight."
"We know. We just know that our children are our last, not first line of defense. Probably," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile. "Has everyone eaten? Are you needing anything besides your berth?"
"We had dinner and saved some for you and Ironhide, Ratchet. If the boys are okay, then maybe a good night's recharge would do us a turn," Corr said from the comfort of Ironhide's chair.
"We'll take you," Quadrus said as he gently began to help Corr out of the blankets and pillows that he was sitting in.
Big boys stepped forward, helped their elders, then picked them up.
"We got this, Ada," Genesis said as he walked toward the door. The others followed and were gone in a second with their grinning elders.
Ratchet watched them leave, grinning broadly, then headed for the warmer and dinner.
=0=Out there
"We will need you here, grandson, to run tactical," Hardie said as he sat down with a meal and drink. It was obvious that the mess hall cooks were doing an exceptional job. The long arm of Rampage was showing its reach.
"On it, Appa," Ironhide said. "We finished cross linking the ships with the deployed satellites. We have deep reach including into the space around his base to a degree of magnification that can watch things lift off on world with a high degree."
"That's what we need, Ironhide. A heads up on lift off. Have you tagged all the ships in space?" Sun asked.
"We're nearly there, Abba. Paragon is working on it now," Ironhide replied.
=0=Bridge, Operational Command Center, Tennyson
"That's the last of them, Pari," Kindle said as he walked to the command seat. He was a tactical officer and drew the command shift, leaving the climbers at Base 1 in the foothills of Olympus Mons with his back up, Kel of Altihex, a champion climber before the war who competed in competitions and had never lost.
Until Kindle began to compete.
Paragon glanced upward. "Thanks, Kindle. We're go with the system then?"
"Double checked and debugged," Kindle said.
Paragon sat back, then grinned. "Put them on the screen, Kindy."
"On it, boss," Kindle said with a grin.
=0=Home
They came back in but for Saber and Santee. Ratchet glanced at them. "I do believe we have more of you."
"Santee and Saber went to Central Point to find out how Abbas are," Genesis said as he sat. "They're so small and little. We want to know they're okay."
Ratchet grinned. "What A+ sons we have in this family. You exceed expectations which are always high everyday."
They grinned at him, seven big boys taking seats around the huge living room.
"What do you imagine will happen, Ada?" Lumi said as he leaned against Fireball. All of them looked solemn.
"I believe we have him contained. I believe we'll spar and at some point fight," Ratchet said.
"Will they make it here?" Tru asked. "I can shoot. I'm very accurate," he said as the others nodded.
Ratchet stared at them, some of the finest and purest sparks he ever met. "You will be the ones who save us if it comes to that. We're not letting anything through."
They stared at him, then nodded. If their ada said it, then it must be true.
=0=There
They knocked on the door, waiting as it opened slowly. Budge peered out, then smiled. "Our sweet boys. Come in." He opened the door as the two huge boys entered. "Mystie, our boys are here."
Mystic came out of a room nearby, the berth room of their little apartment. "My boys."
Both boys grinned at them, warmed by their uncles, great uncles, sweetness.
"We came to check on both of you. We're here as long as you need to help you with anything, Abbas," Santee said.
Budge and Mystie grinned. They would sit and chat, eat cookies and drink tea with both boys before being tucked into their berth. Things would be arranged, the boys would tell them, 'call us, Abbas, we'll come really fast' before both reluctantly left to go home again.
Budge grinned at Mystic from the comfort of their berth. "Those children are the best."
Mystic grinned at him. "They are. They're going to be important to our people as they grow up. Those two babies in the Metro Districts will have very sweet big brothers to help them. All of them will save us. Count on it."
Budge grinned. "I do."
It was quiet a moment.
"I may ask them to come tuck us in at night. I feel great," Budge said.
Mystic chuckled. "So do I. Good night, Only One."
"Good night, Mystie," Budge replied.
=0=Diego Garcia
The civilians and military came out with the sunlight, heading toward their business as usual. Even though they did, it wasn't usual. All around them was arrayed the enormous might of the Autobots.
They came swiftly through the Autobot City Space Bridge as per protocol now, a huge contingent of soldiers and arms along with fast fighters which set down on the ready-go line of the Autobot runway. Out of the big ships that also came rolled armored vehicles covered in guns that rolled swiftly to pre-designated spots on the base where they would take up defensive positions.
Crowds gathered as they did, huge gnarly mechs covered in guns riding on or following big gnarly vehicles covered in guns.
The 'covered in guns' part was deeply, deeply appreciated and commented upon by the humans who watched with big eyes and cameras in hand. They clanked by driven by mechs who nodded, grinned, posed for pictures and chatted along the way. By the time they all arrived there were seven gun emplacements on the island and crowds massive in size for the island were gathered at each, chatting and taking selfies with the bots who were in hog's heaven with the attention.
John Fulton and Andrew Settles sat in a jeep watching bots mugging for the camera, their sardonic humor which seemed to be a universal soldier thing as entertaining as usual. They drove closer, then halted. "HEY! SIMS!"
A big mech glanced his way, then grinned. "FULTON! How's it going? How's your son there?" he said nodding toward Settles.
Huge laughter greeted that.
"I see you're still in need of an optics exam," Fulton said to a mech he knew from the design of the defenses of this and a few other places.
Sims chuckled. "Where's your femme? She's the only thing tolerable about you, Fulton."
Snickers rebounded.
"She's here. I'll tell her you're here so she can plan her day around missing you," Fulton said.
Sims grinned. "I'm going to be the best part of her day, slagger. Tell me where I'm wrong," he said to huge laughter.
Fulton would try but fail as usual with the mechs. It would be the best part of his own day by far.
=0=Ops Center
"The defenses on Diego are complete," Lemi said as she caught Prowl up on the sit-rep. She was the shift replacement for Paragon, a smart veteran of many battles and a tactical genius that was always in back up to Alor, Paragon and Prowl.
"That's good news, Lemi. Then we're hooked up and ready," Prowl said as he glanced up at her.
She studied her datapad, an act that always put her into good graces with Prowl who expected the latest data possible. "We are, Commander. I think you can go home now. We're on the Senior Autobot Comm Channel."
He looked at the table top, then her. "Thanks you. Call me for any reason," he said as he rode to go home.
Out of the door nearby, Optimus Prime walked with Blackjack the Elder and Younger. They paused to chat, then the two Blackjacks walked onward heading for the bridge room and the fleet. He continued to Prowl, chatted a moment with Lemi, then both walked out to go home.
Lemi watched them go, then glanced around. Operational Control of the Empire was now hers.
=0=Home
They walked in to a quiet house. Nearby on couches, Kestrel and Tagg dozed. They sat up when the two arrived.
"Son, how are you? How are things?" Tagg said as he rose to stand. Pulling Kestrel to his peds with a gentle servo, the two stared anxiously at Prime and Prowl.
"We are ready for anything that comes, Atar," Optimus said mildly disturbed by his genitors barely concealed anxiety.
Both nodded, then Kes stepped closer to put his servo on Prime's arm. "We are proud of you. If by any chance that this falters or … or something happens your father and I will defend the children. We will not let you down."
Prime stared at them with the emotions of eons flashing through his processor, thoughts of wondering what hells they endured while away from his protection. Now they were here and still afraid. It never ended. He pulled them both into his great arms. "You will never have to be afraid again. In sheer numbers, we will defeat them."
Prowl stared at them disturbed by their words and fears. He was then pulled into Kes's embrace.
"You are our family. We will stand together no matter what," Kes said softly.
"You don't have to fear, Kestrel. Our army will protect us. Given the Prime who leads us, its only a matter of time before the others learn that salient point," Prowl replied.
They stared at each other, people who loved each other, then Prowl glanced around. "Have you eaten?" he asked.
They stared at each other, then Optimus.
"We didn't feel like it until now, Prowl. Let me fix something for all of us, then we can talk together," Kestrel said in his gentle voice.
"I'll help you," Prowl said as he walked with Kestrel toward the kitchen.
Prime and Tagg watched them, then Optimus turned toward his father. "I do not want you to consider such things. This isn't Cybertron in the bad orns."
"We think about them, Orion. We won't let the children fall into evil," Tagg said firmly. We will fight to the end, all of us."
Prime hugged his father a moment, then glanced toward the kitchen where Kes and Prowl were chatting as they prepared dinner. "I want you both to go back to counseling for a check up, then rest. I do not want you to worry. Come. Let us help them," Optimus said as he gently led his father into the kitchen. It would be a much lighter dinner than their entrance into the apartment.
=0=There and here and there again
Sunstreaker rolled down the corridor to the mess hall after exiting with Sideswipe for their rotation into dinner. Half of the crew would work a 12 hour shift, then switch with the other crew for a duty run. They would all live on Dangerous. The armada on station was unbelievable to see as they watched the activity out the huge ship windows on their way to dinner.
Literally thousands of mechs and femmes went about their business doing their duty. They knew what was at stake back home. None of them would shirk their duty. Disappearing into the mess hall nearby, they would sit and eat, chatting with Bluestreak and Ratchet before heading for the quarters they shared in this, the most luxurious ship they'd ever served upon. Tomorrow was coming soon.
=0=TBC 5-3-2023