The Diego Diaries: Mission 1 (485) edited
-0-Through a glass darkly
They fell through oblivion as space moved around them. When they flew out of the vortex they entered another place and time, one that was more familiar to them than the one they utilized now. They were inside the outlines of the Cybertronian Empire. The maps they would be using would be drawn from their own databases and allow them to go to the places they needed to without the delay of uncertainty.
The three enormous ships slid into the darkness of space, their sensors scanning widely as they sought out the current situation as rapidly as possible. Who was here? Where were they? Would there be a fight? Those things had to be settled immediately.
Alor turned from his command position on the flight deck of the Salten Sea, named after a place on Earth that had fascinated a pilot in the Flight Engineering Department of their fleet. "Captain, we have located a number of items that are of concern."
"What are they?" Blackjack asked as he sat in the captain's chair staring at the massive forward screen. All around him Autobots wearing the camoflage of gray worked at their stations.
"We have a sensor grid nearby that so far has not detected us. It could be down, focused elsewhere or limited in range. There are a small group of Decepticon ships nearby escorting a fleet of freighters. I also detect a number of aliens, possibly merchants crossing this sector on the fringe. They are trying to avoid this area altogether."
"Is there anything to worry about right now?" Blackjack asked.
Alor studied the grid, then glanced at Blackjack. "Not at the moment. We will intercept the freight escort group when we turn toward our first objective."
"Do you know what they carry?" Blackjack asked.
Alor checked. "I read a faint trace of energon and metals. The sensors can't be more clear on that without drawing their attention."
He nodded. "Ironhide, Revo."
The screen split and two faces could be seen. "Yes?" Ironhide asked.
"We have a convoy nearby. There are aliens going through and a sensor grid nearby that has not detected us. Form up on me and let's go," Blackjack said. They both nodded, then the screen cleared. The two ships moved into place, then they moved forward into the darkness heading for a site that had three camps four joors from where they were now.
-0-Moonbase
Ratchet stood in the doorway of the surgery section of his ship. The vastness of the vessel was a good thing. A number of Seekers were camped on board ready to follow the ground soldiers into the battle. He turned and walked inside pausing beside the three humans on board. :How are you doing?:
:Great: Jessie said with a grin. :What is happening now?:
:We are on our way. We are in the Empire: Ratchet said.
:I can't believe it: Sheila Conroy said. :I always wanted to go into space and this is amazing. I am here:
Ratchet nodded. :You are. You three are here first. You and the soldiers that came with us. You beat everyone:
:What is the likelihood of a fight, Ratchet?: Mikaela asked.
:Even. Fifty-fifty I think: Ratchet replied. :Don't worry though. We are very strong and supported by Seekers:
They chatted about this and that as the ships crossed dark space to the small planetoid where the first three camps would be found. They were not closeby each other and would take three different hits from three teams to take the situation over. It would take another joor to get within range of the first obstacle, the deep space relay to Cybertron. They had two possibilities for controlling information to the Empire. They could take it over or they could destroy it.
What they greeted when they got there would determine which way the ball would roll. For now, they just had to pretend that they weren't anything other than what they were pretending to be.
-0-At a planetoid nearby
The mine was deep and the work continuous. It was a rare thing, a fragment of a long destroyed bigger world that still yielded energon. The need was so great that even difficult places were being revisited. This group housed in three different small camps had been slaves for the state for a very long time. Many of them had been dissidents who had joined the rebellions that undermined Sentinel's government from the lowest professions. They had wanted unions to protect them and provide a voice in the conditions of their lives. They had joined the intelligensia to be the foot soldiers of the new wave.
That had fallen of course under the brutality of not only Sentinel's government but also Megatron when he had finally usurped power and drove the Autobots off world. They hand been betrayed by the very movement that they had hoped would supply a better life and more personal dignity. They were paying for it now in small camps all over the fringes.
This group dug for energon. Other camps held scientists who either worked under coercion for this and that project, usually things that weren't new but required highly skilled labor or they were shattered glass that no longer had fight left. Another camp that would be visited by the Autobots was one that held the political and religious dissidents as well as the leadership of the University born movement that had their own histories, the Peace Mission of Primus or Missionaries and the Circle of Light. They were kept separated from everyone else, left alive because it amused Megatron.
They didn't do anything but exist. They hung on though their conditions were poor. Their camp was the most lightly protected so they would be the last one taken over by the group coming. The others were contributing to the war effort and the rebuilding of Cybertron. There were more ships coming and going so the security was tighter.
Blackjack sat at the command table of his ship watching the unfolding drama outside on the big datamap before him. "The traffic from the Center can't be too great out here. This isn't on the main shipping lanes nor is it a region generating too many important resources."
Alor nodded. "These camps have been in this region a long time. It would appear from the new data we have from our ship scans that they have been moved from time to time when an area is played out. Given their out of the way status, I am hoping that the security isn't up to par and that the element of surprise is complete."
"You and me both," Blackjack said turning to the command crew. "Navigator, what is our ETA?"
"Two breems, General," Smokey said with enthusiasm.
"Good. Check me at ten minutes Terran Military or upon first hail," Blackjack replied.
"Yes, sir," Smokey said turning back to his console.
"It won't be long now," Blackjack said rising to walk to the elevator. He entered and was gone in seconds.
Alor watched him go, then returned to the datapad and the slowly closing gap between them and the targets ahead.
Blackjack rode down to the hangar deck where the Seekers were gathered to go. Soldiers in runabouts would go with them, seasoned shock troops, Wreckers, Special Ops and the like. Jazz as field commander of one of the three teams hitting the ground turned to watch him walk to where they were gathered. "General, I didn't expect you to come down here."
Blackjack grinned at Jazz, an officer he respected and liked a great deal. "You can't go without a good bye," 'Jack replied. "Is everyone ready? Are you clear?"
The gathered troops nodded, all of them turning to look at their supreme commander. "I want you all to be careful. Come back with the targets and we go home. Halloween is coming up. You all know what that means."
Chuckles and grins greated that. They talked together, then the signal came as a siren blasted a short burst of sound. It rolled across the deck, then ended. Blackjack nodded, then turned walking back to the elevator and the command center upstairs. As he did, all of the soldiers climbed into their runabouts as the hangar doors slid back slowly. An energy field covered the entrance as the small three-mech ships turned to line up to leave. Before they did the Seekers almost as one transformed flashing out into the darkness beyond. Only then did the ten little ships follow.
-0-Phobos
He sat in the Captain's chair considering the scene before him. They were nearly at the point of launch. He was waiting for his Ada to let him know. When he did, two of his own sons … three really. Springer was going out too. They would go to the fight. He would wait for them to come back with their prize, he, his atar, ada and his bond. It was a family affair he thought with a slight grin. All of them had to return in one piece. More family and a generous basket full of infants waited for them at home. He considered going to the ground with them, then chaffed at his position aboard ship. "Ironhide to Blackjack."
"Blackjack here."
"I think they might need someone on the ground with them," Ironhide ventured.
"They do. They have Springer, Jazz and Elita."
"You aren't going to let me go and play are you." -Ironhide, sulking. Slightly.
"Nope." -Blackjack, enjoying himself.
"Ironhide." -Alor
"What, Ada?" -Ironhide
"That's Commander Ada to you." -Alor (grin)
(grin) "Okay." -Ironhide
Pause.
(bigger grin) "What, COMMANDER Ada?"
"I have a thumb digit that isn't busy at the moment. You are free to avail yourself of it at your convenience." -Alor with a big grin.
"You are both slaggers. Sirs." -Ironhide
They bantered a while, then the go came so Ironhide went down to the flight deck to watch his teams launch. He came back up and sat sulking at some level even as he brought to bear his formidable abilities to assist.
-0-Moonbase
Ratchet listened to the banter along with the humans. His grin was huge as he caught the pout in Ironhide's voice. As he did the siren alerted. Glancing at the humans, he shook his helm. :They are going to launch now. The game is on:
The three human women nodded, all of them solemn as they waited for their friends … and for one of them, countrymen to come back in one piece.
-0-Outside
They gathered up into three groups, a segment of the runabouts each forming up behind Elita, Jazz and Springer. The Seekers also divided up as per prior planning and they began to move forward toward a planetoid that loomed dead ahead.
:What is our status, Command?: Jazz asked as they flew faster and faster toward the bases.
:We are being hailed. Standby: -Alor
It was silent a moment as the group flew toward the planetoid. There was only minimal effort to meet them as the security appeared to be mostly ground based. Alor was back. :We are being hailed. We told them that we were an inspection team from Soundwave. We used their codes and they acknowledged. What is the scene from your end?:
:Only what was already in the air: Jazz replied.
"Very well. Continue forward: Alor commanded. The line was left open to all of them and it would be forwarded to Autobot City when they could. Right now, they were off radio sensor nets. No way was available to get communications back to Autobot City without giving themselves away.
They flew forward toward the camps with speed, their Seeker accompaniment the only give away that they might not be who they were going to pretend to be.
Seekers didn't work for Megatron any longer.
-0-TBC October 27, 2013