The Diego Diaries: Here and There 2 (657) (It helps to have read The Chronicles of Orion part 16 before you read this one.) :D
-0-On the command deck
"Did you get through to Cyclonus?" Optimus asked as he walked to the center table. A few joors of recharge was good and he felt more clear minded.
Blaster looked at Prime, then nodded. "I did. Do you want to speak to him?"
"Yes," Optimus said sitting heavily.
A brief technical interlude disrupted the view of space, then Cyclonus was seen on the huge forward monitor. "Prime," he said in his low gravely voice.
"Cyclonus," Prime replied. "I wish to ask you about someone. Do you know Trannis?"
Cyclonus nodded. "He's out here. He's been here for several orns making trouble."
Prime nodded. "He raided the refugees taking a large number of them into his custody. He's holding them hostage."
Cyclonus was silent, then nodded. "I had heard the Wreckers took him out. Apparently that intel was flawed. He should have left the refugees alone. Our people have suffered enough."
Prime nodded. "I want them back."
"You would be unwise to try to storm his position. He will kill them without a qualm," Cyclonus said.
Prime nodded. "He said he is releasing the elderly and young now and will release the rest later when his fortress is built. What is the likelihood of that in your opinion? I find it very low myself."
Cyclonus nodded. "I agree. I would not trust anything he says. He had ambitions to rule Cybertron and tried to do so thereby necessitating what we all thought was his demise. The Wreckers found him before us. He is very brutal and sly."
Prime nodded. "Then we can work together. Help me get them back. They are innocent."
Cyclonus considered that, then nodded. "We will be in touch." With that, the screen returned to space.
"Well, that is amazing," Ironhide said as he sat beside Prime.
Prime nodded. "War makes strange bedfellows."
-0-In The City
They followed the soldiers as they went here and there filming the next episode of 'Platoon: Autobot City'. The first episode was due to air on the MCA this evening. It would be the usual epic with a bit of the Championship football game included.
Leonora was working at the studio getting raw footage organized to make into episode six. It would be the one with the epic sparkling duel...
She turned to run as a sparkling followed fleeing from one in a tu-tu who held a spoon. She staggered madly through the sand which seemed to want to suck her downward into the very core of the planet. The invective behind her, typical nonsense sparkling jargon interspersed with genuine words translatable on the channel she used among Cybertronians was pretty intense.
She ducked behind a sand pile watching as the parade chasing her followed close behind. Han was running like the wind looking over his shoulder at Orion. Orion was running with a spoon in his servo. His little tu-tu didn't slow him down and neither did his flower necklace which flapped madly.
She turned to watch them go as behind her aides and Mr. "TO-TO" Roto came rushing up to intervene. Hobgoblins were grabbed as everyone turned to Leonora who was crouching behind a tall hill of sand. She looked at them, then over at the sparklings who were gathered at the edge of the box. They were in all stages of aghast.
"Leonora," Roto asked with concern. "Are you alright?"
She stood up and grinned. :I'm great:
Roto looked at Han and Orion who were sitting in the arms of two mortified aides. He frowned mightily. "Corner. Now." The aides carried them off to the Chairs of Doom.
:Roto, it wasn't a fight like a 'fight'. It was more a misunderstanding: Leonora said. :We were filling Orion's hat with sand. He thought it was funny. I would fill it and he would put it on: She grinned. :Han saw him do it so he dumped a bucket of sand over Orion's head. He thought he was playing too. Maybe:
Roto looked at the two who were wilting in the chairs, then grinned. "Those two are such a pain in the aft."
:I love them: Leonora said as she gazed at them fondly.
"So do I," Roto said with a chuckle as he walked over to mediate the latest in a long line of hoo-hah.
-0-Kestrel and Tagg
They sat by the window of The Rookery, a restaurant they had no hope of ever getting into on Cybertron. Now they ate lunch there once a decaorn before afternoon classes at the University. They chatted about their studies, their son, their family, their delight. It was 'their occasion'.
"How do you feel, Kes?" Tagg asked as their waiter delivered food and refilled their glasses. Tagg and Kestrel thanked him, then looked at the plates. "This looks good."
Kestrel nodded. "It does. I feel very well, Tagg. I think the therapy is helping me. It was so hard on Cybertron. I am sorry that I'm such a weak link."
Tagg glanced sharply at Kestrel. "You will never be that, Kes. Don't even think such things. You are now, always were and always will be my hero."
Kestrel looked at him, then nodded. "And you are mine."
They sat together chatting, eating, enjoying the remarkable peace of the moment as the building slowly turned. The panoramic view outside was amazing.
-0-Out there
"Optimus, we have movement in the mass."
Optimus Prime turned to sensors watching as Twin Twist followed the data pouring into Teletraan. It was silent a moment, then Twin put it on the forward screen. The mass was detailed up to a point. The impenetrable density played havoc with their sensors. But moving through the mass were signals that appeared to be ships.
"Send Seekers, Thundercracker. No shooting, just intel," Prime said glancing at Thundercracker who was sitting at the Flight Control console. He nodded then made it so.
-0-At the hangar deck of Phobos
Seekers gathered with Red Wing and Delta, a big heavy gunner Seeker who would be flying point for one of the three groups that would be approaching the bogies. They clarified command and the plan, then moved to the edge of the deck. Leaping off, they transformed and headed out as behind them Wrecker groups began to gather for back up.
Into the darkness, flying through the debris, they split up and moved apart. Dodging the obstacles with effortless grace, they linked up sensors to probe the density all around them. Particles of ice and rock as small as grains of sand or as large as houses slipped past as they moved deeper inside. When they spotted the ships they pulled up and landed on rocks nearby. That was when they scanned them deeply.
-0-On the command deck of Salton Sea
"There are about five ships coming this way together, Optimus," Devcon said. "They appear to be large transports. Its hard to fathom the threat they might pose with mines and other tricks. I know Trannis. I hunted him. He likes to mine things."
"If he did he would know there would be no quarter given," Ironhide said. "It would not be a good thing for him to do but then he was never very smart."
Prime nodded. "He would taunt us."
"I would go with the idea that the ships are mined," Devcon said.
Prime nodded. "We need to bring them in from the cold. Launch the Wreckers but make sure that we have sappers on board."
Devcon nodded. "I better go too."
"Go," Prime said.
Devcon rose and walked to the elevator disappearing into the ship. It was silent on the bridge as they waited.
-0-Nearby
They came to the ships and sorted out the bots. The old, the sparked, infants and children were pulled off. In the vacuum sound wasn't possible but agonized pain was. The expressions on faces were terrifying. Some had to be pulled out. Infants were handed off, elders took them into servo for the ones that didn't get to come.
They were herded away from the ships toward several that were being readied for them to leave. Soldiers with guns stood around the entire area as the selected walked to the ships. Behind them watching from and around their own disabled vessels, crowds of mechs watched with incredible upset. They were unable to do anything without getting shot. Some of them had been clubbed when their families were pulled off. Some sat or lay on the ground dazed after being decked. No one was shot but several were beaten.
Those selected out were loaded on the ships, shoved inside until all of them were gone. The hatches closed as the ramps went up. Then the engines were started. Dust kicked up as the ships began to lift heading into the darkness above. The masses who couldn't go stood where they were watching until there was nothing left to see. Then they walked back inside their ships to wait for whatever was going to come.
The guards patrolled the area as 500 workers came back to be replaced by 500 others. It would go on around the clock.
-0-Devcon
He walked to the shuttles that were waiting for the go. Pausing with Kup, he discussed what they would do. When that was clear, he walked to the hangar doors, then stepped out transforming to ship mode. He blasted off heading toward the sensor reading that promised to be either the salvation of who knew how many civilians or the biggest headache they had come across in a while. Behind him, Wrecker ships began to lift off and head after him.
-0-In the mess
The three rescue units moved swiftly following their planned routes to the bogies. They would have the group surrounded on three sides, the only free path a retreat. The Seekers who had spotted them first had landed on rocks. Signaling the ships, they got no response. Red Wing who was there with his team signaled Salton Sea. :Leader 1 to Prime:
:Prime here:
:We don't get a response from the vessels. There are about three that we can see clearly. Shall we approach?:
:What are the odds that you can without triggering something or getting shot?: Prime asked.
:Good. Pretty good. Devcon is here: Red Wing said glancing at Devcon as he transformed, landing beside the Seekers.
:Dev: Prime said.
:Decon here, Prime:
:Your assessment? Red Wing can't get a response:
:I can go to the lead ship and see what is going on. If I go straight in they will have a hard time shooting me. The angle will give me enough time to land on the hull: Devcon said.
:Go ahead: Prime replied.
Devcon looked at the Seekers. :I will go see what is what. If I get shot its yours: he said with a smirk.
Red Wing smirked back. :I'll go to your funeral:
Devcon grinned. :Be right back: He jumped up and transformed into the stiletto ship format that was feared from here to there and back again. He moved through the field, then jetted swiftly forward. Just as it looked like he was going to crash into the vessel he transformed, landing on the hull to magnetize. His weapons were out and he used his specialized equipment to penetrate the vessel for the types of traps and special devices that spelled bad news.
As he moved forward, he paused at the forward view ports. Staring down he looked into the terrified face of a young mech. The mech reached up a servo pressing it against the view port. Devcon reached down and pressed his servo against it covering the younger mech's with his own. They looked at each other a moment, then others came looking up as well. They were children mostly, children and elderly.
:Prime, the ships are filled with younglings and children, the elderly and some that don't look so good: Dev said.
:Can we board?: Prime asked.
:I will go see: Dev said rising. As he did the fearful civilians inside cried out, their expressions of terror difficult to see. Dev knelt down, then patted the glass. :Can you hear me?:
The first mech nodded. :I can:
:Stay put. We are here for you. Do you know if they mined the doors or if there are slaggers hiding on board?: Dev asked.
:No one is hiding that we know about. I don't think they did anything. I don't know. What do we do?: the youngling asked.
:Stay where you are. Don't go anywhere. Don't do anything until we look and make sure its safe. Understand?: Dev asked.
The youngling nodded. Dev rose and called for back up. He was walking up the curve of the hull when three groups of Seekers converged out of nowhere to land on the ships.
-0-TBC March 21, 2014 :D edited 5-9-14