The Diego Diaries: Here we go. 4 (293) (edited)
-0-Autobot City, Mars in the early morning
He walked to Cosmos bag in servo to do the business of business with the humans at Diego Garcia on the next planet over. Because he was new, he was going with Caro to meet Sam Witwicky and Warren Roberts there. They would hold a conference with a number of businesses in the communications hangars and discuss a number of items of import with the various armed forces. It would take all orn and he would get to see ground zero of their efforts here in this system.
They entered Cosmos walking to the seats along the hull. Sitting, they chatted about this and that as they waited for lift off. Several soldiers who would be trading places with several others joined them aboard. The garrison at Diego rotated in and out with the one at Autobot City. The Home Guard were also being sent there to do their required duty every few decaorns for the experience. No one cared. It was beautiful by the ocean.
A real ocean with water.
Cosmos took off at last disappearing into the night sky for Earth. Sitting in the engineer's seat in the cockpit, Mirage kept Cosmos company as they flew. He was invisible. No one knew he was there but the slightly nerdy shuttle.
-0-In Ops Center, Diego Garcia
Several soldiers sat on station on top of the table in the middle of the room monitoring their portion of the sensor network that covered the Earth, Luna and the system out for what seemed like forever. They had the duty of watching the Earth arrays set up by humans. They chatted and worked amiably with the bots who ran their side of things with Teletraan II interfacing with Teletraan III on Mars.
It was balmy and quiet, a morning that would culminate with the humans going off shift in about three hours. Rain had fallen in the night but now it was evaporating, a steaming mist covering the tarmac as it visibly began to disappear. The trade winds were gentle, a soft kiss against the skin. Trucks were busy, planes came and went. When Cosmos came in to land he was just another ship of many. He was stationed on Mars but did the daily runs with Sky Dive and Astrotrain to Earth and back. Giving that the two latter bots were beaus, it was a good run for them.
The hull door opened and the ramp slid down allowing all on board to walk down to the soil of the planet that had spawned their redemption. The sun felt good considering the usual temperature of Mars. Solar collectors would have a field day today. Fenix followed Caro and the soldiers, his optics looking around at the rather nondescript but huge army base with archaic appearing nonsentient ships parked all over the place, some of them quite large. Nearby, a huge hangar door that sported a giant Autobrand which was split in half with the doors rolled back greeted him. Bots were going in and out as were humans, a very strange sight considering how tiny the humans were.
They entered the building, a rec hall greeting them. He paused to take it in. Along all the walls were murals of Cybertron. He didn't know they were there to celebrate the pending separation of Orion, son of Ratchet and Ironhide. They had been painted by Sunstreaker and left in place by popular demand. They were amazing.
Along the walls were food dispensors, trays of delicacies flown in everyday from The Energon Basket in the Business Plaza back on Mars. The garrison was taken well care of here. He turned, pausing as he saw a road that took off in two directions beyond the rec room. Both led to barracks, personal quarters, stores and a day care room that had celebrated the first Christmas Surprise, a holiday that oddly appealed to him too.
He saw the Ops Center which was opposite the Medbay, so he followed a happily chattering Caro to the command core of the facility. It was festooned with monitors, soldiers at work and a table with humans monitoring things as well. He stood and looked at them, soldiers whose forces had killed Megatron and The Fallen. It surprised him, they were so small and vulnerable.
Then he turned and followed Caro to a conference room nearby. They would leave their gear, homebasing out of the space during the orn but for now they would explore the area. Caro would tell Fenix the tales of this now legendary embassy where everything had happened, about the humans who had betrayed them and the beaches where good and bad had happened. They would wander over the island looking at this and that including the ocean that both decided was astonishing. Then they would meet Sam and Warren who would fly in from New York for the meetings that would occupy most of their day.
-0-Out there
He had made up his processor so they followed him. They would anyway. He was their moral center and their leader. Nothing he could ask of them they wouldn't do. When they were in range, he sent a message over the bullet line that Seekers had been using on their own all over the galaxy. Megatron didn't know it existed but he was sure Prime did.
They flashed on into the night disappearing into the darkness as if they had never been there.
-0-Flight Center, Aerie Hill, Autobot City, Mars
He sat looking at the message in his servo, then rose turning to go. Once out of the facility perched on the roof top of the tallest tower, he transformed and flew to the city. Landing at the airfield nearest to the Fortress, he walked with purpose to the installation.
Prime and his command crew were seated around the center table discussing the situation as it was developing and glanced up as Starscream walked toward them. He paused and handed Prime the datawafer in his servo. Prime read it, then glanced at Starscream. "What does this mean to you?" he asked.
Starscream grinned grimly. "Good things, Prime. We need to send a message. I would like to do that."
Prime nodded so Starscream turned walking to Communications. He sat as that bot moved and formulated a reply that would be sent out over the open line directly to the armada moving their way. He did and rose walking back to the table to sit. They would discuss the situation, come to agreement and wait. They wouldn't have to wait long. In three joors, the bogies would be within range of the coordinates sent for the bridges.
-0-Out there
He received the message dispersing the information among the armada with him. He flew in front unprotected by those who accompanied him. The civilians and other noncombatants were in the middle surrounded by the mass of Seeker soldiers who were in their group. But in the front flying alone, Rainmaker led his group. He was the Great Elder. He didn't need protection. He defied it. They would journey onward heading toward a mutually agreed upon spot in space that when reached would take them immediatly away. When they were gone it would cease to exist once more.
-0-Several joors later
Word had been sent that a momentous occasion was going to commence. Every Seeker in the city and beyond had begun to congregate at the airfield. The electricity in the air was palpable. The humans who had seen the masses heading that way took up their usual positions when something was happening at the air field.
The shipping crates and boxes stacked near the edge of the field.
Terradive and his class was there along with other Seekers and their students. The day care at Aerie Hill, a place for the tiniest infants too young for Sparkling Day School was there as well, infants in arms or hold. Civilians were arriving too, drawn by the news and Autobots as well. The place surged with bodies as thousands began to gather.
Standing in front of a huge cleared space ringed with Day and Night Watch security as well as soldiers, Prime and his command crew waited. Individuals emerged from the crowd and walked to them, the elders and clan leaders who were filled with expectation. They shown like glass. The staffs of their authority were held firmly in servo, their faces shining.
Lennox, Epps, Graham and several other humans stood on the shipping crates to watch. :What's up? Who is this mech coming?: one of the humans, a scientist who was there to help design a permanent residential habitat for humans asked.
:He's the Great Elder, the chieftain over all the clan chieftains. He's supposed to be the oldest living Seeker and no one to fuck with. He's bad ass to the bone: Lennox replied.
:What does it mean that he's coming here? This is good, right?: the human asked.
Lennox shrugged. :I suppose it is. Starscream looks happy: he said as they all looked at the big Seeker standing with Prime, a look of expectation on his face.
Overhead at that moment, a bright light flashed and everyone below knew that the space bridge had begun to deliver its cargo. Watching the bright light, they began to see smaller ones, the leading edge of the newcomers. They grew and appeared to be Seekers in flight, Seekers that flashed over them and disappeared.
:What the fuck is that about?: the human said nearly ducking from the low level of their pass over.
:I've seen this before. It's two things. Information gathering and a salute: Graham said watching as they flew straight up, drifted over at the peak of their flight, then fell downward. Transforming in air, they landed with resounding thuds on the ground. They stood up in the middle of the circle, a good dozen handsome mechs and waited. They wore their colors and markings, had no Deceptibrand on their bodies and looked expectant.
Starscream stepped forward into the circle walking toward them with great pride. They turned to face him nodding their helms in respect. He stood with them, all of them gripping his servo, then they leaped into the air and blasted off. Starscream watched them go, then turned back to Prime and his group. He took his place with them and waited.
The Elders already there stood together, their families around them. All around the circle, the masses of Seekers, all of them colorful and proud waited. It was like the second coming, the arrival of this figure. Genitors held up infants so they could see. It was likely that the memories of this would be one of those turning points in their lives that were spoken of in holy terms.
Optimus and his staff understood the moment too. This was a phenomenal coup if this individual was going to throw his lot in with their side. No Seeker anywhere would be able to stay with the opposition without receiving great scorn and censure from the rest. This mech was that important to their people.
Overhead, more activity emerged as groups of Seekers began to fly downward. They transformed in mid air, some landing heavily like the warrior or the younger mechs preferred, others less so. They began to gather, a large group of Seekers, all of them seemingly civilian.
Then the soldiers began to drift downward going through the proud motions of midair transformation and heavy landings. They stood up proudly, moving back to eventually ring the civilians, ever protective even now. Then the leadership began to come down, handsome mechs, many of them marked with the same etchings indicating family and clan connections. They wore their tattoos proudly, even arrogantly, defying The Fallen's admonition of no identity beyond his own.
It became silent, even tense as everyone waited. Then he came, a flash across the tarmac as he saluted the gathering. He flew straight up and rolled, coming down again in a screaming run to barrel roll over the assembled group. Up and down he flew, demonstrating his prowess even as he saluted the gathering. When he finally transformed and landed with a thud, the atmosphere was nearly at a frenzed peak. He straightened, his staff in servo and looked around slowly. Then he turned to Prime.
-0-TBC
04-05-13