The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box Returns 13 (256) edited for boo boos :D
-0-The gathering storm
They were heading toward a faint signal, one that had reached them in the hinterlands. It was from Prime and Starscream, both of them gathering together to round up the strays of the universe, Cybertronian civilians and Autobot soldiers. They were in poorly condition and rootless themselves, needful of an assured supply line and relatively stable conditions for living. All of that seemed possible at the end of the silver thread of this message. So they gathered up and began a trek drawing others to their group as they went.
They would see many, the flotsam and jetsam of their kind strewn all over the universe when the Fall happened and everyone had to flee. It was desperate then and it was getting that way now. They would leave the barren zone they occupied before things got out of servo. Heading toward the signal of Prime and Starscream, the Decepticon battle groups Terror and Destruction flew. The battle cruisers fully loaded and armed were accompanied by the usual ship array that battle groups supported.
It would take a while before they would be able to sort out the situation in that sector of the galaxy. They would be known to Prime long before Paragon and Hydro would be aware of their menacing presence.
-0-At Paragon's settlement
He commed off the broadcast that was going over the air from Autobot City as they sat listening to Gen-O describe the amazingly efficient reclamation to a city that had no parallel anywhere else including Cybertron. Paragon sipped his high grade, his optics staring at Hydro as that mech sorted out what he had seen. Looking at Paragon he grinned. "Prime's been busy."
"So it would seem. I've been watching these programs for a while and it would appear that the population of Prime's colony will be over a million with this influx. There are estimations of one and a half million given."
"That's a lot of civilians and a lot of dead weight to protect. Prime may have a lot of bodies but how many soldiers?" Hydro asked.
"He has just about every Seeker left alive trying to get to him and I am hearing thousands of them are already there. Elders too. You know that if the Seekers hear that Elders are gathering they will defect right away. There are also defecting Decepticons, thousands of them."
"I don't suppose they can be influenced," he suggested.
Paragon shrugged. "I haven't tried. I've only been here a little while. I've never tried to smuggle someone inside but I suppose that is possible.:
"I would think it was essential," Hydro said refilling his glass. "Spies inside would give us a better bead on what is happening there."
"I agree," Paragon said nodding. The migration is huge and still in flux. Perhaps a runabout suitably beaten up can slip inside. Maybe we can try a diversion to allow it."
Hydro nodded. "I want to be a part of this regroup here with my own. I will allow you to command me and my troops and ships if you show the proper respect. I have a lot to bring to the table. You know my specialty was special ops."
"Get someone into this migration to be a spy and I will be more than happy to show respect. You will forgive me if I'm the sort of mech that feels you have to earn respect to get it."
"Then you and I am on the same page. I don't give respect and license to commanders that are aft heads. I'm not going to be anyone's lackey," Hydro said firmly.
"Agreed. Why don't you go and get a spy organized. Then make sure they get into the migration," Paragon said with a slight grin.
Hydro looked at him, then nodded. "Alright. Done," he said as he rose and turned, heading for the door and his ship's complement of saboteurs and special ops, all hand trained by him.
Arrow who was leaning on the counter nearby listening walked to the table to sit. :Do you trust him?:
:Only so far. If this works, then we are ahead. If it fails then he is behind. A win-win for me either way: Paragon said favoring his lover with a slight grin.
Arrow grinned back and squeezed Paragon's servo. "Sounds like a deal."
-0-Ironhide
"Prime, there's a couple of small ships buzzing along the edge of the migration, near to the back." Ironhide turned to look at Prime.
Glancing up from a map and internal discussion with Prowl, he stared at the monitor overhead. "Send someone to chase them off. If they have to blow them up, go ahead." He returned to his map and conversation.
Ironhide commed his father. :Atar, do you see the bogies?:
:We do: Blackjack replied.
:Could you send someone to beat their afts? You're closer than we are: Ironhide replied.
:Done. How's it going there?:
:Smoothly. We have another 25,000 through the gate and the overall emergency level of the migration is at orange: Ironhide said referring to the sliding scale of calamity used to measure an emergency. Red was dire. Orange was moderately dire. Yellow was moderate. Green was fair. White was optimal.
:That's good to know. I wouldn't want to be at Autobot City right now. I bet it's a madhouse. Right now at this fortress, we are in servo:
:No doubt: Ironhide said. :Keep us posted, Atar:
:That road runs both ways, Ironhide. You never call your mother: Alor said interjecting humor as always.
Ironhide shorted and grinned. :Sorry, Ada. I will rub your peds when this is over:
:Done deal. Alor out:
The smile in his words would linger with Ironhide a long time.
-0-Fort Apache
They lifted off, Wrecker shuttles led by Flint heading for the interlopers at the end of the migration group. They flashed incredibly fast toward the end of the vast group, their weapons primed and their angst writ large.
When they got to the point where the intruders were they saw them harassing a small runabout that had seen better orns. A plea for help had been sent and reached them. Inside the vessel was a mech and his femme, neither of them in great condition but overcome with fear at the two small ships chasing them around.
:Unknown intruders, identify yourselves. Move away from the migration and identify yourselves. If you don't do that now, we will blow you to the Pit: Flint said sternly.
The ships pulled back allowing the runabout to re-enter the migration. For a moment, they looked ready to fight, then they turned and fled. One of the two ships with Flint followed as Flint's own vessel pulled up alongside the runabout. The hatch opened and he slipped out floating to magnetize on the hull. Rapping on the bulkhead, Flint slipped inside when the hatch opened. It closed behind him.
Inside, the place looked lived in for a long time. A femme was lying on a pallet, weariness informing all her delicate features. A youngling mech, handsome and weary too looked at Flint with frightened optics. "Who are you?"
"My name is Flint. I am a commander in the Autobot Armed Forces and we came to help you. Why were you being harassed?"
The mech glanced at his femme, then Flint. "I don't know. We were flying, then they came. I think they might be from the battle group that passed. They had Decepticon brands on their ships."
Flint nodded. "I see," he said as his optics continued to roam around. "You need energon. We have a medic on board. He can assess you and give the proper grade. I'll call him."
A few moments later, they sat sipping energon gratefully as the Autobots watched them. "I think they will be okay, sir," the medic said.
Flint nodded. "I agree. Stay close to the rest of the migration. You will be taken to Autobot City soon. Just stay close."
The youngling stood and nodded. "Thank you, sir. I guess I just fell asleep at the controls. I'm so tired."
Flint nodded sympathetically. "I hear you, youngling. Hang on. You will be there soon." With that, he turned and the two floated to their own ships. Entering, they turned and flew back, Flint's heading for the command ships of the rescue.
The two watched them go, then glanced at each other. "This is great energon," the femme, Shar said. The youngling mech, a wily, very smart bot named Shim nodded. "This has got to be at least grade B or higher. No wonder Prime can manage refugees like this."
They sat down at the controls of their ship moving it closer to the migration. It would be a while before they were able to go forward. They would chat and listen to the transmissions while they waited.
-0-Flint
He reached the ships of the leadership and poised his own vessel, floating over to Omega. Rapping on the hull, the hatch opened. He entered and walked to Ironhide.
"Uncle Flint," Ironhide said with a grin. "I see you got out of the berth."
Flint snorted and rapped him on his helm. "I see you're sitting on your aft as usual."
They bantered a moment, then Flint sat waiting as Prime terminated a call. He looked at his commander and nodded. "What happened out there, Flint?"
"I do believe, sir, that the Decepticons planted a spy into the migration," he said with a grin.
Jazz turned in his chair and smiled. "This could be fun, Optimus."
Optimus considering the possibilities nodded. "It very well could be."
With that, Flint and Jazz sat down together to work out the possibilities.
-0-Ratchet
"How are you doing, Jessie? You look more pale than usual," Ratchet said glancing at his human buddy perched on the shelf above him.
"I am feeling for the patients, Ratchet. I hate to see any bot in trouble." She looked at the floor which was slick with bluish energon. "This is horrendous."
"It is but the best part is, our medical community is bigger than just me," Ratchet said with a grin.
She nodded. "How is the sparkling?"
"He's resting," Ratchet replied. He turned, pulled out a comfortable recliner from a cupboard and sat it on the shelf. "You be too."
She grinned at him and sat ratcheting back the incliner. "You are the bomb, Ratchet. Remember that."
Ratchet grinned. "I will."
-0-The three soldiers of the Apocalypse
They stood in the cube looking over Revo's shoulder as the hoo-hah began to settle. :Those fuckers should know better: Epps said nodding.
Revo snorted and glanced over his shoulder. :I forgot you were back there:
:That's because you're overcome with our beauty: Lennox said with a smirk.
:That's it. Your beauty: Revo said turning to glance at the magnitude of ships lining up to leave through a gate.
:Where do we stand so far, Revo?: Graham asked.
Revo consulted a data complier on the console. It had the direct feed from the space bridge techs on the other side. :We have about 229,000 bots on the other side:
:Damn. That's fast: Epps said.
:We're only as fast as we are on the other side. We changed a lot and it's paying off: Revo said.
:No doubt: Lennox said nodding.
-0-At the Residence of the Primes
Ravel and Tie Down stood in the doorway of the berthroom that would belong to Tagg and Kestrel for their convalescence. They had been taken here from the hospital by a couple of aides who helped them with the long slow walk through the busy streets as they went from one tower to the next.
Ravel greeted them at the door, his cheerful sweetness balm to the pained pair. Limping forward, Ravel's worried comments bolstering both, they made it to the berthroom and lay down. Pain blockers were going to make the next orn or so easier. Ravel and Tie would take care of them until Prowl had a moment to come and assist.
The infants would be staying over at the care center at school, an inevitable conclusion reached reluctantly by all. Even Bluestreak was working. Ravel and Tie closed the store to help, volunteering cheerfully to manage Tagg and Kestrel. It had taken the burden off everyone that they did.
When the aides left, Tie walked back to the berthroom where Ravel said talking to the pair as they lay on the berth. "And I know that Prowl will come by tonight at the first opportunity. Until then, we will help you."
"Ravel, I can't ask you to do that," Kestrel began as he reached out to clasp Ravel's small servo.
"Now, now," Ravel said with a smile on his sweet face, a smile eerily familiar. He patted Kestrel's servo. "We are family now. We have to help each other. Sparklings and younglings depend upon us."
"That's true," Kestrel said tiredly. "Orion said that you lived in the Jumble too. I don't remember seeing you but I heard about your tools. I always wanted to buy a tool kit for Tagg that you made but we never could afford it. We used all our spare shanix for Orion's books and education."
"You sound like us," Tie Down said pulling up a comfortable chair. "We spent every bit we had on Ratchet's education. We lived down at the dog leg. Our little apartment was three floors up in the D block tenement."
Tagg nodded. "I passed that every morning heading to the mills. I probably said hello to you sometimes." He grinned. "We lived eight blocks south in the Eiger District."
"I know that district. A lot of very good mechs came from there," Ravel said nodding.
They would pass the joors happily together remembering a long lost time and long lost oddly enough mutual friends.
-0-Out there
:Gamma:
:Beta. Are you better, brother?:
:I am. I have been famished so long. Alpha?:
:I am recovering, Beta. You came for us, Zeta: Alpha pulsed warmth to the older brother that he had not seen in literally millions of years. Omega was the oldest among the Supreme Guardians with all the rest following in an order of several decaorns space between them. They were devised beings whose sparks came from the Well of All Sparks.
Although Metroplex and Fortress Maximus were older than Omega by some small margin, they were a different generation of the same concept idea. The Supremes were designed to protect cities and city-states planet side. Fort Max and Metroplex were designed to protect planets from space. They were siblings in the emotional and physical sense, reunited at long last.
:Kappa and Omega are here in the recovery. Fortress Maximus and Metroplex are in the city. When you can move, we will take you to Autobot City where you can rest and get repairs. Ratchet will be leading your recovery: Zeta said with his characteristic youthful good cheer.
:Ratchet. I have not seen him in vorns and vorns. Eons: Alpha said. :We can help here:
:After you are checked over. You are millennia without care. Let us help you both: Gamma said with his usual warmth and good sparked concern. :Xantium is also here and assisting at the air field:
It was silent a moment. :We will go with you. I am weary: Beta said at last.
:Good: Gamma said signaling to the tankers to follow as they led the way. They pinged back, loaded everyone and with great care turned to head toward the front of the migration. Flying over the masses, their shadows fell over the ships. Some of them signaled with a salute of their lights their appreciation for the great ships that had given so much for their safety.
Shim and Shar watched the Guardians fly over them, four of them with giant tankers following and felt a bit of a jolt. "Wow," Shim said glancing at Shar who sat looking with a grim expression on his face. "I hear you," he said softly.
They flew onward, their presence being forwarded over the ships as they sent word onward. Omega who was anchored in space nearby Kappa got the message. Ironhide felt a jolt through the floor plates and glanced up. Omega was flashing his running lights and deep space arc lighting to salute his siblings. So was Kappa. The comm line was burning up between them as four behemoth ships came out of the night and into the glare of ship lights and siblings.
They slid to a stop and for a moment there was nothing from any of them so absorbed were they in greeting each other. Everyone looked out, every window crowded as six Guardians greeted each other for the first time in nine million years. Jessie stared at them with wide eyes, the same expression that Lennox, Epps and Graham wore as well.
Revo looked different. He looked at them with an emotional expression. These were honorable giants from the past, the guardians of cities and their home world. They were selfless, dedicated and courageous. His faction had targeted them and even though he himself had once had Kappa in his sites, he never shot at her. He couldn't. They were here now, six of them on this side with three more back at the city. They were gathering again. There were more, perhaps even alive somewhere. He would ask Primus at the Temple when he got back to send them all to the Prime. They deserved to be here together.
Omega flashed his lights, then they dimmed. All of the great ships dimmed. Then they spoke.
:Beta Supreme reporting for duty, Prime. I am yours to command:
:Alpha Supreme reporting for duty, Optimus Prime. I am yours as ever to command:
Optimus listened to them, the greatest ships ever created by his gifted species and nodded. :Optimus Prime to Beta and Alpha Supreme, welcome home: he said quietly.
-0-TBC
2013 (3)