The Diego Diaries: Push Back (dd8 714)
=0=Sciences
They sat around their computer stations building a model for the transport of the entire planetoid that once held the tiny (comparatively) kingdom of Ominous. Now Paladin squatted in Ominous's territory and posed a greater threat to everyone than before. Ominous was able to read the room. It was a matter of conjecture whether Paladin could or would. It was obvious that he was testing the water to see if it would be possible to make his way forward to challenge Razorclaw.
A meeting had been called by Wheeljack and Perceptor to come to the Center and discuss an emergency problem together. All of the best bridge engineers and Trigger and bridge transport planners were here hard at it. When the intel was back from Seekers checking out far away locals to deposit the entire group, then they would meet with the Senior Autobots to decide what to do.
Seekers had flown out to numerous regions to ascertain the life in that particular place, who might be living there that could be hurt by hostiles showing up out of nowhere and if it was safe to send the entire group packing to that area. Several had been found to be sterile of life and good candidates as places to relieve themselves of the problem. Given that a big vein of energon had been found in the mountains of the Ominous planetoid, itself a left over from back in the orn, they wouldn't be devoid of energy and food for a very long time. All of the security scanning runs out toward Ominous's base had built a picture not only of their operation but the mineral content of their host planet.
Miler rose from his computer station, then walked to Wheeljack to discuss the physics of making a 'snatch and grab' fast enough that those on the ground of the planetoid wouldn't be able to retaliate or leave. The conversation would continue onward into the night and further into the morning that followed before they could go to Prime with the information he sought.
=0=Ops Center, Mars
Prowl and Prime sat together going over alternative plans for the mission ahead. The outlier problem wasn't getting the operation going, it was the logistics and odd ball possibilities that could arise. They had to get three Triggers to the area without being spotted on sensors.
They would have to grab the planetoid swiftly and with as many of their ships flying around or holding in space to protect the base as possible. Then with three Triggers flying the whole thing to its new home through the bridge created by their fourth Trigger, one of two at the Saturn Shipyards following the attack by this very target, they would have to take it to where they were headed, then release all of it there.
In the momentary disorientation of being transported, all of them would have to fly back through the bridge to the now former territory of Ominous, then Paladin. It would have to be swift with any escort making sure to protect the Triggers during retreat. Given their last encounter, all of the Triggers were able to fly a lot faster than before but not for very long until they could be overtaken.
The last consideration was those ships that hadn't been caught by the net during the initial capture and were left behind. They'd have to surrender or fight it out. That was unpredictable in the extreme.
They would labor long into the night and come to a conclusion that would work.
=0=Out there
They sat on their seats watching the ships ahead as they came back toward their base. Apparently they were testing Prime's resolve and reactions, getting a clue about how far to push or not. Paladin was known to be a meticulous planner and one who took risks with his fanatical crew to find out what they were.
"This was a boring ride," a young kid said who was staring at the cruiser silently gliding along nearby. The three battle shuttles were like limpet fish on the side of a shark, sliding along, drafting as it were, in the wake of the larger ship's huge form. "Nothing happening here."
Some of the older mechs grinned, then one glanced at him. "Count your blessings, infant."
"How will we ever learn to fight if we don't?" he asked.
"Reminds me of someone," another big mech said.
The whole group nodded but for the kid.
"Smokey, Devcon's grandson," they said almost in unison.
The kid glanced around the group, then at the big mech who sat across from him. "I know him. I like him. He knows what he wants."
The big mech chuckled. "That kid wants more than he can manage. You could use better role models. Like me," he finished to the general laughing agreement of the mechs.
"Yeah. When I look at you I see 'role model'," another said.
Huge laughter greeted that as they rolled along toward their armada. It would take a while to get there.
=0=Home
Ravel put the last dish into the washer, then walked back to sit down beside Tie to watch the news. "I'll be glad when things get back to normal."
"You and me, too. Did you read the Crime Report in the Autobot City Daily News?" Tie asked as he handed their newspaper, book and magazine download data pad to the small sweet mech who was the love of his life.
Ravel took it, then found the Crime Report. He read it, then glanced at Tie. "They're violent, Tie. This proves it. Thirty orns house arrest must mean the fight was awful. If this is their first offense here that's a steep punishment."
Tie nodded. "We have to be watchful. I don't think they'll bother us, Ravie. I just think we both need to be educated on what's happening."
"I'm going to talk to Mystic tomorrow," Ravel said with a slight fret in his voice. "I appreciate Suvi more and more every orn. He makes me feel better just showing up."
Tie nodded. "I know."
=0=At another home
It was a tense dinner as Salute made most of the conversation, commenting on the booming ways their store was taking off. Almost all of their clientele was from their former caste with many different individuals of all manner of former castes starting to stop in to shop now that it didn't cost a penny. Business was very good for their family. If it paid it would be a greater return than on Cybertron due to the mixed clientele they were making.
Latinum was picking at his food. "So we're doing good are we?"
"In spite of you, yes," Raimier said as he eyeballed his son with irritation. "I don't want either of you going on the town again until the hearing is resolved. You do know that you added a layer of interest to the Watch who're investigating us now. Well played."
Latinum stared at his father with irritation.
Merchan sat back satisfied by Salute's cooking which was gourmet for their kind, something that she had learned in school and mastered on the high flying social circuit of Cybertron in the orn. "Good food. Thanks. What about the hearing?"
"They're fact gathering. You know the drill. RTR Tools is going to give evidence tomorrow. Its going to get gristly fast," Raimier said. "Our representation said we might get probation if we don't push our luck and a review of our membership in a year. For once in your lives, stop being afts. Stay out of trouble."
The three stared at their father, a mech big enough and well trained enough in martial arts learned through the high caste private school system knowing full well that he could beat them into the floor together or one at a time. They knew it because several times in their lives they'd tried and failed spectacularly. It would be a very sullen dinner at their parent's home.
=0=Another home
"Sleep tight, little bits," Bluestreak said as he walked from room-to-room putting the babies to bed. He walked out, sat a moment to listen for them, then linked into the shuttle where the twins were riding. They were heading back to the armada following a cruiser and shuttles who had taken a joy ride to test
Prime's resolve.
Sideswipe smiled on the screen. :Hey. How's things at home?:
"Dull without you," Blue said as Sunstreaker signed on to the chat through his own internal comm systems. "Sunny. Your paintings were delivered. Everyone is very, very happy."
Sunstreaker grinned as he lounged beside his brother and two other mechs. Everyone was either dozing or chatting through the booster line that connected deployed soldiers to their families and homes on Mars. :What did they say?:
"The one, the babies, said they want to have you again. They want their elders images. They love the way you paint. Your style is just what they wanted they said."
They chatted onward with Sunstreaker savoring the praise. He loved that they loved his art and admired his skill, style and technique. It was transforming things inside him whenever it happened that he didn't even know were broken.
=0=Home
Blackjack stretched out on the berth with his son. Everyone in the huge apartment were in bed including the big boys who were STUPENDOUS in helping him with the shorties. It was his rotation home to stay at the Ironhide-Ratchet hut and manage the kids through an evening and to school in the morning. It was a riotous evening of cows, dogs, cats, shorties and smirking chuckling big boys. A Seeker mech and his besties, MY BIG BROTHERS had been invaluable getting the shorties to bath and bed.
"APPA! LOU COMED HERE TO ME, ORION!"
"Yes, you little slagger, you. Pudding and me, we're the officers of the orn. Get your little afts to bed," Blackjack had said as several little kids broke like billiard balls on a pool table running everywhere to play 'LOU HIDE SHES!" with their grandpa.
Blackjack would stalk the wild sparkling and with a cackling infant in each servo put them to bed. It would take less time to find them with big boys silently pointing them out even without a cow's butt sticking out of a curtain where they were hiding with the kids.
Blackjack glanced at Scout who was already asleep beside him as two cows tried to haul their fat afts onto the bed as well. They would be joined by a dog and three cats in jig time.
Sometimes life was very, very good.
=0=Early morning on Tennyson
Prime watched as the shuttle battle group following the cruiser and shuttles began to head back to the armada. They were back at their base, the ships and now they would both wait it out. Prime brooded on the end of their first confrontation as Prowl walked toward him.
He paused beside Prime. "The science team has a plan. We need to convene a meeting to trouble shoot it. They're getting the Triggers ready to deploy while we do this part. We need speed."
Prime nodded. "Very well. When do they want to meet?"
"In a joor," Prowl replied.
"Please alert the command team to be there either by monitor or person. We need to work this out to the nth degree. If we do not have ultimate surprise they will launch and scatter like leaves on the wind," Prime replied.
Prowl nodded grimly. "On it," he said as he walked to the Comm station to comply.
Prime watched him go, then glanced at the forward monitor. The shuttles had arrived and were turning in formation to fall in beside a titan to wait for further orders. Prime would brood as he waited for the news to act. It would be a very tense joor for him.
=0=TBC 5-24-2023
NOTEY-NOTE-NOTES TOMORROW!
