The Diego Diaries: Throw Down 1 (417)
-0-Ground zero
"Have a seat, all of you." Roto grinned as everyone sat down stiffly in their chairs. "Orion and Han had a spat in the sandbox and there were witnesses." He peered into the little corridor next to the big conference room where everyone was. "Can you come?"
The sound of tiny peds could be heard walking as around the corner Olo came. She was still garbed in her rubber duck hat and yellow coat gear bearing an expression of grave worry on her tiny face. She looked up at Roto. "I come?" she asked him uncertainly.
Roto knelt and nodded with a grin firmly on his handsome face. "I want you to tell all these adas and atars what happened in the sandbox outside."
She stared at him, then looked at the mortified genitors and the enchanted grand genitors. Nodding, she walked up to them and looked up. "Orion bad. Han bad."
"What did they do, Olo?" Roto asked with a big grin as he sat down in a chair nearby.
She looked at him a moment, then the group. "Orion hit Han. Han hit Orion. I cried."
Ratchet felt his insides hit the ground. The energy over the link from Ironhide was incredibly bad, too.
Blackjack leaned down to pick her up gently. Holding the infant on his servo, he grinned. "Orion was a bad little mech?"
She nodded as her little chin trembled.
"He hit Han?"
She nodded again.
"Han hit him back?" Blackjack asked.
She nodded. "Hit them he. He hit them him."
Blackjack kissed her little cheek, then gently put her down. "Did you help them?"
She looked at him. Turning around, she pointed at Roto then nodded. "I got Toto."
"You're a very good little femme," Blackjack said gently. "What a good little femme you are. Thank you, Olo."
She looked at him, then Roto. Then she smiled. "I try."
Ratchet reached down and picked her up. "You're a wonder," he said kissing her cheek.
Olo made the rounds, then was set gently on the ground. She smiled at them, then looked at Roto. "I go, Toto?"
He nodded. "Time for dance class, baby."
She smiled brilliantly, then ran to the door and disappeared into the next room.
Roto watched her, then turned to the group. "There are three other witnesses, Bleu, Miracle and Mimi. Do you want to speak to them, too?"
The group demurred although most of them would've loved to love on the infants.
Ratchet shifted uneasily. "If I get this correctly … you're explaining how this is bothering other infants, right?"
Roto smiled. "You're right."
"So we have delinquents on our servos," Ratchet said.
Revo and Heva glanced at each other, then gripped at a straw. "How are they when they aren't around each other?"
"They're a credit to the school. They have no problems with others or when they're apart." Roto looked at the group, then grinned. "I think you'll be happy with their conferences but for this hiccup."
"We're working on it right, Revo?" Heva asked glancing at his bond.
Revo nodded. "We are."
"We are, too," Ratchet said. "We want sparklings of good character, Roto. We work on manners and all of the rest all of the time."
Ironhide nodded emphatically.
"They're young and don't mix well. Not everyone will like everyone but the problem is, you don't get to choose most of the time who you're around or work with. Revo had the same problem with his cousin," Wirelite said with a smile. "They grew out of it."
"How?" Roto asked.
"They found a common enemy," Wirelite said with a grin.
"We can't have that, Ada," Revo said glancing at the tiny femme that was his ada.
"No but things aren't ever built in an orn," Wirelite said. She looked at Roto. "These infants are good but they rub badly. Both have strong personalities. Both are good little mechs but they clash. Perhaps less time together is one way to unwind this problem. If they're together, they're supervised. They will grow up and mature. It will be okay some orn but not swiftly. It took a long time for Revo to learn that the world didn't revolve around him."
Revo blinked at his ada.
Heva smirked slightly. "Are you sure he outgrew it?"
Everyone snickered at his expense as the tension lessened greatly.
Roto sat back and considered Wirelite. "You're very wise. We'll just continue onward. We'll separate them and put one of them into the other slot for outside and inside recess. We'll continue to work out the problem but it will obviously be a long term goal."
The group nodded.
Blackjack glanced at his aghast son and son-in-law, then looked at Roto. "Is it possible to see the two hoodlums?"
Everyone glanced at Blackjack, then Roto. He grinned, then rose to go into the next room. He returned with two sparklings sitting on his servos.
Sitting contritely as they stared at their genitors, Roto grinned at both.
Orion and Han looked at him, then their faces crumpled into quivering chins and glistening optics.
"Atar, I come you?" Orion asked tearfully.
Ironhide moved, then sat back looking at Roto.
Roto nodded so Ironhide took Orion as Heva took Han.
The two began to cry. The genitors secretly wanted to join them.
The grand genitors were amused with all of them.
-0-At the Club Hoyle
Smokey walked into the club after a brief lunch with his grandada. Devcon was touching base with his return before heading out for whatever grand adas did when they weren't on duty. He'd gone to the dojo but everyone was either on Earth or on duty. Heading out, he walked to the club because his class that orn was a night class. Entering, he walked to a table to sit. No one was there so he shuffled the cards to play a solitary game.
-0-Out in the mix
The Decepticon flight continued onward passing the last possible turn back to Paragon and Cyclonus. Those two bases and one farther away for Soundwave were ignored as they continued onward to the solar system where the signal from Prime and Starscream originated. They were going to reach the leading edge of the solar well in a few joors and they were aware that they were on sensors even now. As they approached they sent a message ahead. All they could do now was wait.
-0-Ops Center, Mars
Prowl exited his office heading for the comm station where a message from a group of defecting Decepticons had been received. He paused by the station taking the message, then walked to the hallway that led back to offices. Pausing at Prime's door, he glanced inside. "We have a message from the group heading this way."
Prime looked up and took the datapad from Prowl. "Interesting. A bunch of younglings and a few veterans. I don't know any of the names here. How about calling Nitro and Scar in to vet them," he asked handing the datapad back.
Prowl nodded, then left.
-0-Moments later
The big black Seeker and the huge blue and white mech walked in together heading for the command table. Pulling out a seat, they looked at Prowl expectantly.
He handed them the datapad. "Can you tell us anything about these mechs? They're in the group coming to the solar well."
Scar nodded, then took the pad. He scrutinized it a bit, then looked at Prowl. "The mechs are mostly young, cannon fodder that someone looks to be saving. The few that are old enough are just names to me. I was with small teams that ranged around. I don't know as many mechs as some." He handed it to Nitro.
Nitro took the pad and scanned down the list. Then he paused on one name. Glancing sharply at Prowl, he looked at the pad again. "I know one of the names here. Combo. I know him. He's my younger brother. If That's him, he's my brother," Nitro said glancing up at Prowl with emotional optics.
Prowl nodded and commed Prime who came in shortly after. He sat and glanced at Prowl.
"Most of the mechs are young apparently. It could be that one of them is Nitro's younger brother. He's been missing a while."
Optimus looked at Nitro who looked sick with anxiety. "How about calling them? Then we can ask," he said.
Nitro shifted with anxiety "My genitors are broken up about Combo being missing. If this is him it'll be the greatest orn of our lives."
Prime nodded, then glanced at the communications officer. "Open a line to the approaching ships please."
The communications officer, a Home Guardsman who was doing his service in real life situations nodded and made the link. "Open, sir."
Prime nodded. "Decepticon group, this is Optimus Prime. Identify yourself and your intentions. You're in Autobot controlled space."
A moment passed, then a voice replied. "This is Jet, commanding Decepticon Convoy group 17A. We're seeking asylum in your sector as per the call to come. We've heard you and seek sanctuary."
"Jet, you have to follow a few rules. You must take all personal weapons and put them in lockers. Fuse the locks on them. Power down all ships weapons and leave them off line. There must be no weapons on you or we will fire. We will come to retrieve you through bridges. What we require is our parties to board safely, assess the scene and make you ready to enter our air space. We will not allow you to come here armed or with ill intentions. Understood?"
Jet replied. "We understand and will comply fully. I have a lot of younglings here, Prime. Some of them have been ill treated and some of them are in a bad way. We've fled with them and our families. We were in the service of Galvatron and bear the harm of his actions."
Prime glanced at Nitro, then nodded.
"Jet, this is Nitro, formerly captain of the Wraith. I'm looking at the list of mechs and see one named Combo. Is he seeker with a black scheme and red highlights on his arms?"
"Affirmative," Jet replied. "He needs medical attention. Please help us. We come in peace with the intention of surrender. We're going to be ready when you come. Come soon."
Prime rose and glanced at Prowl. "Get a flight together with medical and strikers. We are going now. Nitro," he said glancing at the distraught Seeker rising along with him. "Join us." With that, the group walked to the door and beyond.
-0-On the way to the airfield
Ratchet and Ironhide followed by Blackjack left the school quickly. Revo was with them as they ran for the airfield. Ships were gathering to go to the Decepticon vessels heading their way. Apparently, the situation was dire for some of them. They reached the airfield as the ships were being loaded. All of them ran up ramps and the doors closed.
Striker ships, the fast highly armed battle shuttles of the Wreckers were lifting off going to the Trigger for deployment to the pick up. Kappa who had transformed as the hospital base ship, her usual role in rescues lifted off, too.
Ratchet walked to the cockpit to talk to her passing Swoop who sat on a bench near the doorway. "Hi, Swoop. Ready to help?" Ratchet asked as he passed the Dinobot.
"Swoop ready to help. I'll help you, Ratchet," he said in his simple way.
"Good," Ratchet said as he walked into the flight deck and sat in the co-pilot's seat. "Are we ready to go, Kappa?"
"I'm loaded. I keep an inventory in stores at all times," Kappa said in her beautiful voice.
"That's because you're awesome," Ratchet said as they flew into the darkness above.
Her laughter accompanied them into space.
They lined up in the runway of the Trigger as the team plugged in the coordinates. The energy flashed down the long skates and flared into a blossom of infinity at the end. They powered up and flew forward disappearing as a group of Seekers reached the Trigger. They would follow the group out to maintain security. The portal would stay open for the entire operation.
-0-On the other side-by-side
They flashed out streaking toward a group that was making their way forward. Information was gathered as the ships in the Autobot group scanned the formation. There were eight ships there, two of them capable of fighting and the rest cargo. They were scored from fire and some of them looked ready to fall apart. It was evident that they'd been repaired as part of a long journey.
"Jet, this is Prime. Signal your position and call your group to halt. I'm sending teams to board and lock down your ships. The faster you comply, the sooner our medical teams can board and help you."
"Jet to Prime. We're ready. Please, hurry. Jet out."
They slowed to a stop as the striker vessels reached them, all of them weaving their way into the formation. Hatches of the light fast vessels popped as mechs jumped out moving to attach themselves to the Decepticon ships from sheer momentum. They walked with arms in servos to the hatches and rapped on them. They opened and the mechs slipped inside as Seekers who'd just arrived magnetized to the hulls of all the ships. They were there to fight if the moment called for it but it wouldn't. This was a group on their last legs.
-0-TBC September 1, 2013 edited 7-6-14 12-04-2022