NOTE: In a single word to the question 'ARE THESE GUYS CANON?!' … yep. :D:D:D
-0-Here we go
The Diego Diaries: Phase Six 3 (505) edited
-0-On the command deck of the Phobos
The senior crew worked to put together a group to hunt down the slaggers in (hopefully) pieces parts in the hulking wreck of the once proud(ly psychotic) Peaceful Tyranny. Three sparks were solid sensor readings with two more in a muddled condition. The spark of the turbofox had stabilized becoming a moving feature in what was left of the ship. The vessel hung in a lurch on its side allowing the creature to hide out wherever it wanted or could.
Red Wing walked onto the command deck heading toward the group around the table. He paused as they turned to him. "Prime, that fox is hiding in the central module of the ship. We might need to blast that portion of the vessel into sub atomic particles before we can risk looking for the 'Cons."
Prime nodded. "I would prefer to know that it was deceased before I risk anyone going after the others."
"There is a risk of not taking the 'Cons out alive if we blow the ship apart," Starscream said with a grin. "Not that anyone cares. I am just saying."
Ratchet smirked back. "It is to your credit that you don't hold a grudge, Starscream."
Snickers met that remark. Prime turned gazing at Starscream with a slight grin. "I have to agree," he said.
Prowl turned from the huge datapad with all the known information of everyone and everything within three sectors. "I would suggest that a couple of shuttles lay siege to that part of the ship to destroy it. They can do it from a distance. Hopefully, the entity won't flee to another host."
"Can it?" Silverclaw asked.
"We don't know. They can assume a host so it would seem that they could flee one. Not enough is known, really," Ratchet said. "I put a call in to Wheeljack and Perceptor but they are as unclear as the rest of us. However, the consensus is kill the host, kill the entity."
Prime considered that, then turned to stare at the monitor before them. He nodded. "Have Kup shoot the central module. Give it a burst, one that is strong enough reach the fox without taking out too much more. I would like them in custody if we could get them."
Red Wing nodded, then turned walking to the elevator to disappear. They turned back to the forward monitor and soon Red Wing streaked away heading back out. They gathered as the scene switched back to the seething mass of broken ship, spreading fuel and now visible to the optics, two floating bodies among the broken debris.
The view was sent from two shuttles combining their field of vision. Two other shuttles moved closer pausing nearly side-by-side. A message came from one. :Springer to Prime:
"Prime here."
:We are go:
"Then go." Prime watched solemnly alongside Prowl and Ratchet. It was silent and tense. Then a brilliant burst of energy erupted from the shuttles. It hit the dense structure of the central fuselage of the ship piercing it like arrows. For a moment, the energy came through the other side, then the vessel exploded again.
It jumped, then bent itself as the energy collected inside. The fuel that had frozen around it shattered scattering like a thousand million little shards of shiny glass. Some of them flared, those closest to the energy beams, flaring to vanish forever. Inside the structure the remaining munitions exploded punching holes out the back of the rolling construct. The steel hull punched outward like the stretching skin of a balloon, then ruptured throwing debris and flashes of electricity and fire outward. They died immediately, the darkness inside returning.
Two more strikes from the shuttles hit the ship piercing parts of the central fuselage where it was still intact. By the time they flashed off, the metallic structure was decimated. It had broken apart, the segments twirling and flying away trailing debris and frozen liquids in their wake. As they spun other shuttles and the Seekers scanned the pieces both visually and with their combined sensor capacity. The two shuttles that fired pulled back waiting for the results.
:Red Wing to Prime:
"Prime here."
:The turbofox is destroyed. I am assuming the sparkeater is with it:
"Stand by, Red Wing," Prime said as he glanced toward Smokescreen.
He was bent over the sensor station working furiously. He punched a few buttons and the screen forward changed. There was a detailed sensor map of the entire debacle. There were five bodies floating in space. There was debris everywhere and all of it was mapped down to the nails that held a cabinet together in the galley. Ammo and guns, a nearly intact computer main frame and personal items also were identified. "I have no readings for a turbofox. I have used all spectrums, Prime, to try and detect anything ethereal that might be floating out there and I find nothing. When the fox died so did the sparkeater. Hopefully." He looked at Prime and shrugged slightly.
Prime nodded. "Ratchet, can you add anything more?"
Ratchet turned to the sensor station and took Smokescreen's seat feeling the same loathing and genuine fear that everyone else felt including Prime. Sparkeaters could extract your spark and over a period of time … a long one, digest it slowly. It was considered a mythological 'bogey man' type of creature rarely seen and only slightly believed. But because it was a bogey man, everyone was terrified of them. Justifiably it would seem.
He scanned all levels of the spectrum including the hull and floating debris. It seemed reasonable to him that if this creature could survive on sentient metallic beings, it would have a shot at surviving on non-sentient metallic things. After nearly a breem of searching every level of possibility, he turned toward Prime. "I got nothing."
Everyone relaxed, then turned toward Prime. "We have to get them, Prime," Ironhide said. "I think I want them dead myself but you are the Prime. What do you want us to do? We can't leave them to chance."
Prime nodded. "Ratchet, I want you to go with Kup and Springer. Bring them here and dismantle their functions. I want them in deep stasis for the duration. When we get back to Mars we can worry about them then. But for now, they have to be on ice."
Ratchet stood up and nodded. "We can't let Paragon and Cyclonus know about this. I think we have leverage on the slaggers with them thinking that these fraggers are roaming around."
"I do too," Prime said with a grim smile.
"I'd like to go too," Sunstreaker said rising from his station. "I want to help."
Everyone turned toward Sunstreaker, then Ratchet grinned. "Aww. Isn't he a good son?"
Ironhide grinned. "Sometimes."
Prime snorted. "Very well. Prime to Kup and Springer."
:Kup here:
:Springer here:
"Ratchet and Sunstreaker are going to help bring these slaggers in. If they are in anyway resistant put them down," Prime said. He glanced at Ratchet. "Them first if anything happens."
"Count on it," Sunstreaker said with a satisfied expression. He walked to Ratchet and the two turned leaving. It was quiet on the bridge for a moment, then Ironhide turned to Prowl. "Are you going to let me hold Prowler a moment or are ya going to be a hog?"
Prowl snorted, then popped his hold. He reached in, then extended his servo. A smiling infant in a Seeker bag wearing a pear hat with a perky stem greeted everyone. By the time Ironhide finally got to hold his son after he made the rounds of grandgenitors, bridge crew and interested bystanders it was nearly time to inspect the prisoners.
He was not amused.
-0-Out there
They jumped off and floated to Springer's shuttle, boarding as the vessel slid away again. Through a mass of refugee ships they slipped finally making it to the area of conflict once more. Shuttles had moved in, some of them with Seekers magnetized to the hull. They gathered to begin a search of the wreckage for bodies and useful items. A priority included getting the mainframe that was floating near a body.
Ratchet stared out the window, then looked at the Wreckers who were standing armed and ready staring at him with their usual savoir faire. "Give me a moment. The handsomeness in front of me is messing up my circuits," he said with a grin.
They snickered at him. "Nothing wrong with your optics then," Whirlaway said to general favor.
"Nope," Ratchet said with a grin. "I need to go with you. I can switch the fraggers off," he said opening a wrist panel. "This is what I use to save your afts on the battlefield when I can't get there right away. It makes you seem dead so no one will keep trying to kill you. It lets me put you in stasis from a distance."
"I wondered about that," Springer said peering at the device. "Thanks in advance."
"Your welcome," Ratchet said with a chuckle taking a jet pack from a mech. Sunstreaker was already in his when he turned to stand by the door. Ratchet fastened his, then turned to them. "I will handle them. You just help me tow. It is worth the while for us to get them to Phobos as fast as possible. I am going to disable Tarn's vocal capacitors right away when we get to him. He can kill you just by humming the right frequency. If he is aware, shoot him dead. Understand?"
They nodded, then watched as the door slipped open. Sunstreaker stepped out and paused waiting for Ratchet. He stepped out and together they flew slowly to the wreckage, Wrecker after Wrecker following behind.
-0-Phobos
They stood on the command deck watching the group leave the shuttle. Other shuttles combined their sensors, then projected the images back to Phobos. They grew to nearly life size on the forward screen. The humans stood on the edge of the console watching, their hearts pounding as the scene began to unfold. The good guys were slowly approaching the worst nightmares any of them had ever seen or heard of. It was just this short of terrifying.
-0-Out there
Ratchet moved forward turning his path toward a silently floating Tarn. He was out cold, battered and missing his legs from the knees downward. When he reached the mech Sunstreaker grabbed him turning him over. Ratchet scanned, then pulled him closer. He examined the throat structure of the silent mech, then transformed his digits to tools. With a swiftness borne of great practice, he opened the plate coverings and peered inside. :Frag. This is complex:
:What can you do?: Sunstreaker asked tensely as Drift and Springer held Tarn still. They floated watching Ratchet who was thinking things over. Then he grinned slightly. "This," Ratchet said. He transformed a screwdriver on a digit, a particularly long pointed one, then jammed it into Tarn's vocal capacitor. Tarn arched like he was having a seizure, then went limp as electricity and sparks flew from his neck.
Ratchet pulled out his digit, then floated a moment. :Whoa. That was fun:
Drift glanced at Springer who laughed aloud, a totally silent effect. :You rule, Ratchet: Springer said.
Sunstreaker who was looking at Ratchet like he was a god glanced at his (unknown older brother) superior. :You don't know by now?:
Ratchet snorted, then grinned fondly at the three. :Haul this carcass to the shuttle and take it to Phobos. I'm going to bag another one:
Drift and Springer took an arm and toodled back to the shuttle as Ratchet turned to go onward to another floater nearby. Sunstreaker went with him and both approached Vos cautiously. Pausing to check his sentience, Ratchet rolled him over. He was filled with holes but alive. Checking that he was going to last until he could be patched, Ratchet put him into stasis too. Ratchet shoved him toward two other Wreckers who had followed them. :He's all yours:
:Gee, thanks, Ada: Sandstorm said with a smirk. :I will try and reciprocate at Christmas Surprise:
:You better, slagger: Ratchet said with a grin. Vos floated away on Cab Wrecker as Sunstreaker and Ratchet turned. They continued onward into the debris and detritus of the blasted ship looking for three more slaggers among the rubble.
-0-TBC November 9, 2013