The Diego Diaries: Chaos 45
=0=On Gamma
They came to the hatch and slipped inside, six mechs carrying the tiny infants, Ratchet following. The hatch closed and the compartment re-pressurized, the sounds of whimpering emerging from the blanketed bundles in arms. Prowl reached for one and cuddled the infant against his chassis. Peering into the mass of blankets that swaddled him, he turned and walked to a nest of blankets and air mattresses that he had constructed in the corner. He lay the infant on his belly and patted him, rising and turning only after he relaxed into recharge. He personally placed the other five and only then did he turn to the mechs.
"Thank you," he said.
They nodded and turned walking the hatch to leave. When they were gone and the compartment re-pressurized, Ratchet turned to Prowl. "Do you need help here, Prowl?"
"We're good, Ratchet. How are the Seekers?" he asked.
"We just sent two through the vortex. They are in bad shape but I feel hopeful. However, you can take them off the active duty list. They won't be sound for fighting again. Lucky slaggers," Ratchet replied with a grin.
Prowl nodded with an expression of relief. He stared at the infants. "We will keep them with us. I can arrange help at the Residence. I want to keep them with me. The sight of them flailing in vacuum haunts me."
Ratchet nodded. "I hear you."
Ironhide paused beside Prowl. "That is a lot of sparklings."
Prowl nodded. "I know."
The sound of cross talk began to filter through the intercom and they turned. On the big monitors, ships were moving forward to leave. A mass of Seekers gathered to lead them inward. When the two met, five Seekers turned and flew for the aperture. Nearly 200 ships of all sizes and makes flew with them disappearing into the maelstrom and safety.
The monitors also showed the location of the smaller ships and their flight cover as they began to advance into the mass of civilian refugees. Turning and walking to the table, they all sat together, their optics fixed on the maps and monitors that were telling the next chapter of the story.
:Goldwing:
:Goldwing here, Ratchet:
:How are things?:
:The two critical cases are already gone:
:Good. How are the others? Do you need me back?:
:We are good. How are the sparklings?:
:They are exhausted and frightened but unhurt:
Ratchet could almost feel the relief. :That is good news. I almost jumped through the bulkhead when I saw that. Do they need homes?:
:Prowl is taking them in. The Residence is huge and there can be care arranged. Thank you for asking. I will tell him you did:
:If he needs help, my bond and I can do that:
:I will tell him, Goldwing. Let me know if you need me:
:Affirmative. Goldwing out:
Ratchet sat back and watched as the little blinking blue lights that indicated the search vessels wove their way into the mass followed by the blinking red lights of their Seeker support.
-0-Going forward
Sunstreaker and Sideswipe stood behind the pilot as their vessel slipped in and out of the mass of ships. They were being grouped to fly through the vortex. The violent gateway was behind them surrounded by ships and Seekers. The light behind them was enormous and offset by the mass of light through which they flew.
The chatter of the ships was muted, as if the occupants were afraid to make too much notice of themselves. They could see faces in the windows looking out with fearful and hopeful expressions. Sensors indicated that a 'Con ship was ahead and they were moving slowly inching their way.
"Are there any nearby?" Sunstreaker asked as he stood quietly, his swords sliding in and out of the sheaths on his wrists. "Any sign of explosives?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary. They are armed and have pretty good fire power but no mines. So far," Twintwist replied.
It was silent as they curved around a ship to make the turn toward the fighter. When they began to make their turn fire flashed past their forward view port. Slamming downward, diving away, they came about hard.
"That was outside. It was firearms," Sideswipe said.
"Slipstream. What do you see outside?" Twintwist asked as he made evasive maneuvers.
:There are mechs on the outside of a ship. They were waiting for you:
"We're coming around to get them. We're letting mechs out," he said making a hard turn around.
:Affirmative. We're tracking them:
Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Mayhem moved to the door, fully armed with jet packs strapped on. The ship slowed and the hatch opened. Jumping outward, the hatch slammed shut and the ship turned away to come around for support.
Sunstreaker, Sideswipe and Mayhem activated their jet packs and began to speed forward, their weapons ready. They reached the ship directed by the Seekers who angled among the vessels tracking the two mechs that they had located by heat signature. Anything less cold than -254 degrees stood out even in a mass of ships' propulsion systems. As they did, the faces of terrified civilians could be seen in the windows.
-0-Gamma
"There is a message, Prime, for a Decepticon fighter."
"Put it through, Gamma," Prime said looking up from the map.
There was a pause, then Gamma was back. "You are connected, Prime."
"Thank you," Prime said sitting back, gathering his thoughts. "This is Optimus Prime. Who are you and what do you want."
There was a pause. Then a deeply masculine voice filtered over the intercom. "This is Coldspray. I want to defect. My brother does too."
Prime considered that. "You are with the worst commander of a Decepticon force short of Megatron. You expect me to believe you want to defect."
It was silent a moment, then another voice came over the intercom. "We mean it, Prime. We want to defect."
"Why?" Ironhide interjected.
Coldspray replied. "We say them throw the sparklings out. We don't agree with that. We don't agree with hurting babies. We don't want to be a part of this."
Prime glanced at Prowl. "Impressions."
"Maybe he's telling the truth. Maybe he's a set up. I don't imagine that was the first infants he ever saw abused."
Prime nodded. "Why should we trust you? Overlord has killed innocents before."
"We don't. My brother and I … we don't agree with this. It was a hard thing to see, those little babies floating in space alone," his brother said.
Prime considered that. "The sensor range of the Decepticon armada is beyond detecting you. There is a ship nearby. Move to it with your weapons powered down. Stop within two ship lengths from it. I am going to instruct the Wreckers on that ship to board you. I will give them permission to kill you on the spot if you so much as blink. Understood?"
"Yes, we do," Coldspray said. "We know things, Prime. We can tell you a lot."
"Give up peacefully and we'll talk. Do anything stupid and there won't be enough of you to put in a bag," Prime said.
"We understand. Coldspray out."
Ironhide looked at the map and watched as the ships changed direction moving toward the coordinates of the ship where they would surrender.
"Springer."
"Springer here."
"Two 'Cons want to defect. They are approaching you and wish to surrender. Board them and take them into custody. If they do otherwise, you have permission to handle it as you see fit," Prime said.
"Acknowledged. What turned them?"
"The infants," Prime said.
There was a pause. "Affirmative. Maybe they aren't completely hopeless, the slaggers."
-0-Nearby
They flew to the ship behind which two Decepticons were hiding. Seekers gave them directions and waited, their very specific skills on the ready. Sunstreaker fixed to the hull and began to climb over the top toward the other side.
:Sunstreaker. Watch it. They're on the other side waiting: Gunnar said. The big boarding specialist hovered nearby.
:Got it. Sideswipe:
:Sideswipe here:
:Go underneath and distract them. I'm going over the top:
:Got it:
Sunstreaker waited on the hull near the curve at the top. He could feel the movements of others nearby. Then a huge shudder rolled under his peds. Someone had breached the hull and entered the ship. Moving swiftly, he raced to the top in time to see two mechs ducking into the hole they had blasted in the ship. Sideswipe came up behind him just as five Seekers settled on the hull magnetizing. Mayhem joined them.
:Here's what we do: Glory said as he outlined their pursuit as a team. The big Seeker was the close combat expert and they would follow his lead. A scan indicated that 33 individuals were inside and many of them were very young. This was going to be a bitch.
-0-At the surrender
They slid to a halt, two fighter vessels armed to the teeth. Springer stood on the deck of his ship fully aware that his small crew was perched on ships surrounding the 'Con vessels, all of them pointing their weapons at the enemy. Their contingent of Seekers stood on ship hulls, their heavy weapons pointed as well. No one made an attempt to conceal themselves. No one cared. Either they were genuine or they were dead.
Springer glanced at Kup and grinned. "Should we shake them down?"
"Sounds good to me," Kup said.
Springer grinned and nodded. "Get them."
The mechs jumped from the ships and floated over. In moments, the ships were entered and searched. The mechs were turned inside out and when they were finally shoved through the door of the runabout, they were shucked of even the most innocuous item they carried.
"Well, well, well. This is a first. 'Con hunters with a conscience." Springer grinned. "Time to visit the boss. You got anything you need to tell us before we take you there?"
They glanced at each other. Then they looked at the grim faced mechs standing around them. "No," Coldspray said.
"Good," Springer said. "Let's go."
With that, they turned and hurried onward.
-0-Autobot City, Mars
They watched from the cargo boxes as the ships settled on the air field. Runabouts from the hospital were waiting with medics and stretchers to take the wounded to the hospital.
"I wish we could be there to film this," Jack UMellar said.
"No you don't," Epps said.
"You're right," Mellar said.
Epps grinned.
=0=TBC
2012 (10)
NOTE: My modem died. :*(
I am finalizing and sending this at a wi-fi place. It might take 2-3 days to get my line fixed so I am going to be hanging out to do this every day. Hugs out there!