Chapter 12
=0=That same day
The call came that afternoon and N.E.S.T. was go, their gear at readiness at all times. Optimus Prime walked out of the N.E.S.T. HQ toward the Autobot Command Center complex, all the detritus of life as it was day-to-day wiped from his mind as he considered the problem they were facing.
Apparently the Decepticons were working to transfer arms technology to gangs in urban areas of Europe in an attempt to cause chaos and sow distrust for Transformers in general among the already jittery human population.
He'd decided to send in rapid response teams, groups of humans and Transformers with specific areas to search. The problem was that the targeted areas were near large urban cities. London and Paris were two of them as well as Prague. Teams would be sent to each and they'd be controlled through the Ops Center in the Autobot's hangar complex because the technology there was superior to the humans.
The hubbub inside their facility was brisk and professional as the designated Autobots gathered together their weaponry and moved it toward the assembly area out in front. Ironhide would lead the team that would converge on London. Jazz would lead the team in Paris and Optimus would take Prague.
In their quarters, Ironhide shifting through his ammo piles and stashing his newest configurations into subspace watched out of the corner of an optic as Ratchet gathered together his own supplies and essential weaponry. He would be going with Prime, the intel from Prague posing the most possibility for injury to the Autobots in his team. They pulled themselves together as they had for a million battles over nine million years and when they were ready they turned to face each other as they always did.
Nothing was said, everything was said and then they came together to hold each other. For a moment they were one, their sparks joined, then they stepped apart walking to the door together. As he reached the door, Ironhide grabbed Ratchet's arm then pulled him into his arms again. He kissed Ratchet's neck, hugging him tightly.
Ratchet hugged him back, emotion strangely enough rising in his chassis. "Come back, Ironhide."
"You, too," Ironhide said, then he let Ratchet go and grasped the door. He opened it to step through, waiting for Ratchet to follow. He did and down the corridor they went, joining the swell of Autobots on all sides of them, both the warriors going and the ones staying seeing their comrades off. All along the length of the building to the open spaces beyond, Ironhide's hand rested lightly on Ratchet's back.
=0=Ops Center
Prowl moved between the stations, his low calm voice a steadying presence as the transport planes began to taxi. The plane to Prague included Optimus Prime, Ratchet, Arcee and Smokescreen. The human contingent was led by Captain Lennox. They left first, the plane running along the runway lifting off with the Autobots in their alt vehicle form and the soldiers strapped into the net seats.
Ironhide watched it go, his expression thoughtful. Then he gathered his crew to go toward their transport, transforming as he did. Sideswipe, Mirage and Bluestreak followed. They rolled up the ramp where airmen took care to buckle them in. Sergeant Epps led his men inside and in minutes they were airborne as well.
The last transport carried off Jazz and his crew of bots, Sunstreaker, Hound and Springer. Lieutenant Graham led the humans into the plane where they settled as the low thrum of emotion regarding the coming assignment was offset by the roar of the engines as it taxied.
Prowl stood by Teletraan II watching the screen. The roving satellite that Teletraan had launched circled the Earth above the scrum of the human's less useful, more breachable machines and endlessly circling scrap and garbage. It was being re-positioned to allow coverage of the Earth from Diego Garcia to the shores of America and all the places in between from north to south. By the time the planes were over their drop zones it would have been in place scrutinizing the affected areas for hours.
He considered their predicament, his battle computers absorbing information faster than it could be downloaded and diffused it through a dozen scenarios that he was building. All of the possibilities would be sorted out, all the potential outcomes worked through. He would be ready to give them instruction, directions and battle tactics as they were needed faster than anything the humans had or would have for many, many generations.
=0=Over London
The signal from the flight deck was given as the soldiers gathered their gear together. Ironhide rising from his tie down shoved the net away as he moved to the rear ramp. Pausing there, the other Autobots behind him along with the humans waited their turn to move, too. The light blinked and the ramp began to descend as the raging wind buffeted in, filling the vessel with a cold howling breeze.
Ironhide looked down at Lennox who patted his ped and nodded. Moving forward, Lennox leaped out into the darkness followed by the rest of his men. Looking back, Ironhide nodded to them, then stepped forward into the night.
Behind him grinning with a malevolent glee, Sideswipe moved forward. He was followed by Bluestreak then Mirage, the last one out of the bay. They fell into the darkness, then the transport banked to head back to the base nearby that would allow them to wait out the operation at USAFE Mildenhall.
They were on their own.
=0=Prague
They had landed in the countryside nearby, their jump nearly perfect. The five human soldiers consolidating around Sergeant Epps entered the Autobot vehicles as they transformed into their alt modes. The night was deep and cool, the first frosts of the season covering the ground.
Pulling out, they moved on heading for the suburbs of Prague where agents had told them that arms transactions had taken place. In the plane overhead, Optimus Prime waited, plugged into the team and the Ops Center with Prowl back on Diego Garcia.
=0=Paris
The soldiers led by Niall Graham piled into the Autobot vehicles and began to move toward Les Mesnil-Aubrey using the D316. Jazz who was awash in admiration of the great and beautiful city they were leaving behind wished that at some point in time he'd have the chance to explore the ancient city of light, Paris. Mirage would love this place he thought and the two of them had to someday come here together.
=0=Prague
The E55 led in a curving line toward Klicany. They went in tandem rolling closer to the dirt road that would branch off and lead into the country. From there they would be on sensors seeking any sign of technology that had no place among human hands.
Smokescreen and Arcee would take point moving off the road system to range off the beaten path. Ratchet carrying Lennox and several of his soldiers would stay on the road and wait for intel from the two Autobots at point.
The night sky was overcast and the stars peered out from the breaks in clouds. Ratchet felt a foreboding in the darkness, a sensation honed of many millenniums fighting a ruthless foe. He drove with all his sensors active and online.
=0=London
They had landed south of Peterborough, a field filled with sheep their landing spot. Gathering together, Ironhide gave his orders and transformed, loading two soldiers while Sideswipe took Epps and two others. They turned off the dirt road that led to the A1139 heading southerly, hoping to link up to the A1 to Huntington. Intel on the ride over had told them that the target was heading back to London and they were in a hurry to cut them off before it became a game of hunt and fight in the ancient urban center of London.
=0=Autobot Ops Center
Prowl sat beside the night officer, Red Alert. He was operating the sensor array interface and all of the communications were coming through his board, the comm links rerouted to cut down on confusion. He was listening hard, his usual nervous intensity adding to the overall tension on the command deck. He was counterpoint to Prowl, whose calm and soft-spoken presence made the waiting bearable.
Beyond them pacing, sitting and hanging around both at the Ops Center door and the Rec Room beyond, humans and Autobots passed the time. The comm system was routed into the rec center for all to hear, making the mission a mission for all, even those left behind.
Humans in their own ops center and others working here running communications for the soldiers also worked in the Autobot ops center, their perch on the top of a table nearby bringing them closer to the mechs. All was going well and the desultory comments made by the field teams broke the silence from time to time. Nothing was happening and Prowl considered from experience that that wasn't a bad thing.
=0=London
They reached the outskirts of London and the traffic picked up. Following a lead that told them a plasma weapon system was being transferred to a human arms dealer in the suburb of Finsbury Park, they hurried on in the night, a tight convoy of humans and someone most people would be hard pressed to believe existed even now.
=0=Paris
They reached the point of transfer, a series of old dilapidated buildings that had the air of being abandoned since the forties. Transforming in a secluded area nearby, Jazz gathered his team and the humans to peer into the darkness beyond. :Jazz to Prowl:
:Prowl here:
:We're at the site outside of St. Denis. What does Teletraan tell you about any Decepticons around here?:
:Sensors are inconclusive. I would suggest recon:
:Affirmative: Jazz rose then glanced down to the soldiers. "Prowl suggests recon. There doesn't seem to be a clear signal from Teletraan."
They divided up, a soldier going with an Autobot. The groups moved into the darkness working toward the black shapes of buildings in the distance. The night was oppressive so they walked with caution, their arms online and their optics sharp.
=0=London
They followed traffic into town as the signal led them from Finsbury Park into Kings Cross. As they drove in convoy the signal became stronger with each kilometer passed. The conversation between the vehicles was kept to a minimum and the tension of battle was rising.
:Ironhide:
:Bluestreak: Ironhide acknowledged.
:We're coming to a roundabout. What's the plan?:
:They're moving. Take the southeast turnoff and head for King's Cross:
:Do you want to take point or do I keep it?:
:Keep it for now. We're going to have to break up and take parallel streets once we get into the city if it comes to that:
:Affirmative: Bluestreak said as his sensors strained against any possibility.
They continued onward, the flickering signal of a weapons system moving just out of their reach. They found themselves in Kings Cross Central, a large emerging area bounded by train lines and roads. Pausing at the northern edge of the largely open underdeveloped area, they moved to a building site, pulling up in the shadowed side of a commercial building being constructed.
The soldiers climbed out and gathered against the building's side as the mechs transformed hunkering down with the soldiers. Ironhide with his weapons systems already online glanced at the other three mechs, comming Prowl as he did.
:We're in place. Give us what you got, Prowler:
:How many mechs?: Ironhide asked grimly.
:At least one, possibly two:
:Affirmative: Ironhide gave his instructions directing Mirage to work his way toward the signal to discern what was on the other side of the open well-lighted space. There were new constructions there as well, concrete and steel buildings that were in various stages of finish. Some were skeletons and others were nearly done so the possibilities of hiding places were many.
Mirage nodded and with a light step he rose, disappearing as he cloaked.
Ironhide watched him with concern in his tanks for just a moment, then he turned back to the team who were awaiting the go. He sent Bluestreak into the darkness to fall back and come around from the south positioning his sniper on the far side of the signature.
Sideswipe with his rifle cradled in his arms waited with Ironhide and the soldiers.
The moon was bright as clouds moved over the sky deepening and lightening the shadows as they rolled on.
Ironhide waited aware that Bluestreak and Mirage wouldn't be comming him. They wouldn't touch base with Prowl again. Instead, they'd be contacted by him for only the most serious reasons. For now they were on their own.