NOTE: I am very aggravated. I lost half of this story and had to rewrite it. :( So here we go...
-0-For the * second * time now ...
The Diego Diaries: PsyOps 1
-0-At Cafe Praxus
They ate their meal chatting together. The sparklings sat on the table gawking and beating each other with their sippy cups. Ratchet took Orion's and that little bot shot him the most severe optics he had. Which were comical. Everyone paused and grinned. Ravel patted his little ped. "You look very cute when you do that."
"He's a bossy little slagger," Ironhide said shifting Praxus away from the edge of the table.
"You pat their servo, Ironhide. We patted Ratchet's servo. We did until we had to pat his aft. He always was a very curious and happy little mech," Ravel replied.
"Ada just has to look at us to make us be good," Spirit said smiling at Prowl. Prowl smiled back.
"I wonder where he learned that," Ratchet said smirking at Venture and Miler.
"He kept some of our bad habits I see," Miler said grinning.
"I do what works," Prowl said looking at his three little mechs. "You three are easy." They grinned back at him.
"The little femmes are so sweet," Ravel said glancing down at the floor. They were in their new carry basket sleeping side by side in a cocoon of warm blankets and dollies. He paused. "How utterly cute they are."
Bluestreak glanced at Sunstreaker. "Sunny got someone to knit caps with holes for finial embellishments. The booties match. I think they are just darling."
"I do too," Ravel said as he stared downward. Little blue peepers opened and a ginormous smile greeted him. "Hello, my little angel. Do you want to come to see me?" He reached down and gently scooped the infant up. Iacon lay on her grandada's servo and smiled. Little yellow booties were on her peds and a little hat with a yellow knitted flower graced her helm, her finials peeking out. "See, Tie? What a lovely baby," Ravel said with a smile. Iacon smiled back. He turned her so the others could see. 'Awws' went around the table.
Ratchet looked at Sunstreaker. "That is one cute little bunny."
"She's high-end awesome. Whatever she needs, she gets. I don't care what it takes, they get what they need and want," Sunstreaker said inordinately pleased with his daughter's reception. "This keeps her warmer. Roto said that their processors need to be warm so they can develop. This will help."
"You need to show the Crafts Guild, Sunstreaker. That is adorable," Ratchet said, "and I think it would be cute for them to experiment with designs. I am wondering if a Santa Claus thing can be done for Christmas Surprise?"
"I'll see," Sunstreaker said nodding.
"When do you have to go out to the new base, Grandatar?" Bluestreak asked looking down table at Blackjack.
"I am going out later tonight to do an inspection. We're not going to try and hide our presence. I want to show the flag. Let them know we have them in our sights," Blackjack said.
Optimus nodded. "We want them to give up the hostages and showing the flag will help pressure them."
Alor nodded. "I better get my sparkling fix now. It will be a few orns before I get to love a sparkling again," he said plucking Praxus up off the table. He grinned. "This is the most insane paint scheme I ever saw on a sparkling. You two are honestly out of your processors," he said, kissing on Praxus. The infant gripped Alor's face chuckling musically. "ADA!"
"Praxus," Alor said kissing him some more.
Orion watching laboriously got to his peds. Standing on the table, a dollie firmly in grip he turned to walk to Alor. Ratchet grabbed for him and missed. Sideswipe plucked him off the tabletop before he could fall into anyone's plate. "Got ya."
Orion looked at his brother. Then he grinned and held up his dollie. Sideswipe smiled and kissed it. Orion gripped his brother's helm and hugged his face against Sideswipe's.
"Ow," Sideswipe said.
Orion looked at him and grinned. "WIPE!"
"Orion."
"Orion love Wipe." It came out normal sized and Sideswipe hugged him tightly. Orion grinned and relaxed on Sideswipe's arm. "Wipe good. 'Lello good."
Sunstreaker smirked. "Did you see his tattoos?" he asked of Alor and Blackjack.
"I saw them. The Wrecker tat fits him. Who is Mimi?" Alor asked with a chuckle.
"His femme," Sideswipe said with a wolfish grin. "Mech has femmes already."
"His hotness can't be denied," Bluestreak said with a grin. "Right, Orion?"
Orion who was basting himself in the attention smiled ginormously at his brother-in-law. "ORION GOOD! BOO GOOD!"
Bluestreak snickered. "Boo likes Orion too." He looked at Prowl. "How is the little mech?"
Prowl looked into his carry hold. The tiny mech was sleeping. "Good to go. I can't wait to see them with their families but I'm going to miss them."
Optimus nodded. "We need to get them reunited."
They all nodded.
-0-On a rocky barren planetoid
The ships were disabled and their critical ignition parts removed. They would remain for shelter for the hostages but they were not able to fly. They stood in groups watching the Decepticon ships fly off to the larger planetoid nearby where Overlord and his minions were going to dig in. The small amounts of energon they had were to be augmented by the three machines they left behind on the ground.
For a moment, there was no movement. Then a big mech stepped forward along with half a dozen others. He looked at them, at the fear that enveloped the group and gathered himself. :We need a moment to pull ourselves together. If we divide or panic, they win. Understand, they are the worst of all, a hunter-killer group and they don't respect anything or anyone:
:They took our sparkling: a big distraught mech said stepping forward. Another followed him, then others. :What are we going to do? What are they doing to our kids?:
Wing looked at them and then the Knights with him. :We don't know. I would imagine they used them as barter for Prime. They could be with Prime now and I know that if he can get them, he already has. We have to live. Do you understand? If we ever want to see those babies again or have a hope of survival, we have to listen and obey. We brought you out of the darkness and we're nearly at the promised land. Prime and the Matrix... our army too... they are waiting for us. They will come. But until then you must do everything I tell you:
"What can you do?: a high caste mech asked.
"I can lead you. I can keep you alive. Do you actually believe you are the first group in a bad way that we've lead away to safety? Dai Atlas and the rest of us … we're here to save all of us. We are going to Prime because he's there ready to help. You have to obey. Do you understand me?: There was no sound. :Tell me now if you disagree or if you can't do this.: It was quiet and no one objected. He relaxed slightly. :Very well. Right now, we organize shelter. I want all the elderly, the sparked and all the infants in the same ships. All of them. If they come back, I don't want them in a cross fire if trouble happens:
:what do you think will happen?: the high caste asked uneasily.
:They're in the same bad position as us. I suspect that we will be forced to build any fortifications they will need. If they do, we do what they want and come back each orn alive. Don't argue. Don't stand out. Don't make optic contact. If you even pretend to slack or argue, they will shoot you. They won't hesitate. Tell me that you understand that and you will do what I say:
Hundreds of mechs nodded anxiously, listening carefully to all he said. Wing explained what he needed and they turned to do it. As Wing watched his mechs gathered around him. :This is going to be tough:
:Prime will come: Wing said. :Dai told me that they already have been to Cybertron. We just have to hang on and when the time comes, we step in and help:
They nodded, thoughts of their carefully hidden swords filling their processors. By the time the orn 'dawned' they were organized, calmed to whatever degree they could become and of one mind about how to act. Their lives depended upon it.
-0-On the airfield
They gathered to go through the Trigger. Mechs heavily armed were going up the ramps of five heavy battle shuttles. Prime stood with Blackjack and Alor going over instructions as they waited for the City of Cybertropolis to finish loading things that had to be ferried to the site.
He would be going with the duo to inspect things thus far. The soldiers and three of the shuttles would be staying to provide protection to the workers who would follow. The first of the curtain walls would be going through the aperture later in the early morning. Mechs on site had prepared the lower level and the foundation for the above ground portion of the installation.
Giant guns were being forged in the foundries yet and they would be placed in due time. All of the materiel, munitions and equipment needed were being massed on the tarmac. The Guardians would be loaded and take it all through. Their firepower and presence was helpful in the intimidation process they would begin once things were prepared. Feverish was the pace and determined was the general mood.
"Then we better go," Alor said nodding.
Prime nodded back. "We need to get going on this. The sooner the better. Once its up, Jazz and Elita can begin the psychological portion of the plan."
Blackjack nodded. "The sooner, the better."
They turned and walked to the City of Cybertropolis. Entering, the ramp went up and the first of the heavies rose upward. Cleared by Fort Max, it moved to the Trigger to wait for the others and the spectacular rupture in space that would occur and place them on the other side of time.
-0-In the bosom of love
Ratchet walked from Sunspot's room. The infants were in bed and he was tired himself. A football game did that to a mech. Sitting in his chair, he grinned at Ironhide. "Good game."
"it was. Slagging good game. There's a wrap up coming on The Hourly News in a moment. How do you feel, old mech?"
"Great," Ratchet said squeezing Ironhide's arm. "How about you?"
"I feel fine," Ironhide said.
"You're due for a systems check up."
"Frag that."
(grin) "There are conferences in a couple of orns."
"I know. I told you, remember?" Ironhide asked glancing at the fake chevron of his dreams.
Literally.
"That's right. You volunteered to be on the school committee."
"Volunteered? Since when, old mech?"
Ratchet grinned. "You and Sunstreaker. That youngling makes me shake my helm. Who knew?"
Ironhide nodded. "He's a strange one, that one."
The Hourly News music filled the space and they settled back to watch. The first stories were city business, the new openings of this and that, interviews of the refugees and their progress. Then it got down to the important stuff.
Football.
"The game today was a great one, the usual hard fought contest between two ancient rivals," Jacx began as he reported the sports news for the broadcast.
"Is that what its called now?" Ratchet asked with a smirk.
"I thought they would have to arrest a couple of them," Ironhide said with a grin.
"The star of the early portion of the game was Autobot Smokescreen." The image of a happy nonchalant intensely good looking youngling filled the screen. "Smokescreen, tell us about the goal you made which set up Altihex to win in the long run."
"I got the ball cleanly and I took a shot hoping it would go through the hoop. It did." Smokescreen looked handsome and humble. One of them was typical. The other wasn't.
"You were hurt," Jacs said.
"I was. I bent my nose structure but it was addressed by the surgeon in the emergency room. When I came back, the team wasn't exactly grateful. I got hurt, I scored and turned the game and they gave me slag."
"Really," Jacs said feeding into the first sports 'scandal' in the history of Martian Cybertronian football. "Tell me more."
He did. He wouldn't regret a word.
=0=TBC
2012 (11)
NEW FEATURE: FACTOIDS
The Black Eyed Peas in Boom Boom Pow mention Cybertron. :D
The Omega Lock releases Primus in planet formation to his robotic format.
Cybertron has been featured as smaller than Earth through the size of Jupiter. I use the largest version possible for easier renditions in the story.
The Transformers, the first movie was on the teevee. I love the house scene because Ratchet and Ironhide are so funny. When Ironhide wants to blast the parents, Ratchet tries to make him lower his guns. When they are told by Optimus to hide, Ratchet is shoving and harassing Ironhide to move. :D