GRV. Fort Lamont and the Moon. Changing of the Guard Part 1

[dens_extra_pups]

Blackout: *walks into the yard, absently moves the grain truck out of her way and closer to where BJ had been trying to steer it, and then walks up to Jethro and unloads something she's never hunted before: two wild hogs*

Jethro: *surprised, but grinning* Th'nks, Blackout. Di'n't know th're w're wahld 'ogs neah 'eah.

Blackout: *in her usual gruff way* There are a lot. And the Ranger scolded me for not having gotten rid of them already.

Jethro: ... Which 'un?

Blackout: Ryan's son. Ranger Dobson.

Jethro: *soft snort* 'E 'f all people sh'ld realahze y'u've been buseh dealin' wit' othah stuff.

Blackout: He seemed unable to believe that I had been hunting the other things when hogs were available.

Jethro: *amused headshake* Bet Bill w's glad t' be rid'a th' invasive 'uns, 't least.

Blackout: I have no idea. *looks at the dead animals in her hand* I hadn't realized these were pests. I thought all creatures of this species belonged to someone.

Jethro: Not th' 'uns th't look lahk those. Th' less 'aireh 'uns, th't ain't as mean, yeah.

BJ: 'N that're in pens. *looks toward the happy playing of a song about the General Lee and sees Mini Lee dancing*

Blackout: Ah. *grudgingly* Should I roast one of these? Ranger Dobson suggested I do so.

Jethro: Th't'll be a good meal f'r ev'ry'un. *nods*

BJ: We c'n stick th' otha' 'un 'n th' freezer f'r later. *still watching Mini Lee dance*

Blackout: *snort* Which one do you want roasted?

Jethro: *will inspect both pigs before selecting one* Th's'un. 'T's a bit bigger, 'n w'ld take up more room 'n th' freezer.

Blackout: Alright. *sets the other hog at his feet, and then straightens and walks off to the butchering site to treat this hog the way she's seen Dixie treat chickens to be roasted. Will start by using a torch to remove all trace of hair*

Jethro: *calling some of the soldiers over to help move the other hog carcass so it can be butchered*

Blackout: *has her hog cleaned and now removes the guts. Finds the organ meats and sets them aside while she hoses out the inside of the carcass* Do you want the head? *has heard the humans talk about not wasting the good parts on a pig's head*

Jethro: Yep. C'n use most'a it f'r food.

Blackout: *removes head, dumps it into his arms. Then takes the rest of her pig and goes to tap at the farmhouse door*

Jethro: *will set to work getting all the good parts of the head taken care of and ready for cooking*

Dixie: *coming to the door, Hattie close behind*

Blackout: Please make five bushels of bread, chestnut, and barley dressing.

Dixie: *chuckles* Wh't'd y'u catch th's tahm?

Hattie: *laughs and goes to recruit help for making all the dressing*

Blackout: *lowers her hand and displays the dead hog. Yes, she's following the poultry recipe for roasting it*

Matt: *coming out to help Jethro. Had to get some water after accidentally swallowing a bug* *perks at the sight of the hog* Ah-Ah'll git th-th' ch-charcoal p-pit g-going!

Blackout: *quizzical frown* Charcoal pit?

Matt: Yup. F'r roastin' th' pig. *grin*

Blackout: *looks at it* Ah. Very well.

Matt: F-F'r a p-pig th't s-sahz, w-we's g-gonna need th' p-pit. *nods and goes to recruit soldiers to help get things set up*

Blackout: Oh. *scans the dead pig* It has no white meat, so it won't need pineapple? *looks at Dixie*

Dixie: *wrinkles nose* No. No pahnapple.

Blackout: And it doesn't have the sort of fat that waterfowl have, so it won't need a grease rack. *deep frowning and analysis of data* Yes. I think my choice of dressing is appropriate.

Dixie: 'T'll take th' men s'me tahm t' git th' pit readeh, 'n s'me tahm f'r all'a us 'n th' kitchen t' git the rest 'a the fixin's readeh...

Blackout: *puts the hog in her pocket* I will keep it chilled.

Dixie: Ah'll let y'u know wh'n th' fixin's 're readeh.

Blackout: Alright. *starts to stand up, but then pauses* Should I use a rub on it?

Dixie: *headshake* Matt's got a sauce recipeh 'e lahks t' use.

Blackout: *gets up and goes to poke Matt* I need the sauce.

Matt: Alrahght, l-lemme go g-git th' tub.

Blackout: *nods, but then remembers something and goes to knock on the farmhouse door again*

Dixie: *back out a moment later*

Blackout: *offers the hog's heart and liver* I forgot to give you these.

Dixie: *nods* Th'nk y'u. *will accept the offered heart and liver*

Blackout: You're welcome. *turns her head with a puzzled scowl as the General Lee song blasts forth again. Stands and stares, her scowl deepening, as she sees BJ's car standing and dancing to the song*

Perceptor: *from where he's sitting on WakeJumper's shoulder* Oh! But... Mini Lee?

WakeJumper: *headtilty, confused chirp*

BJ: *laughing and boogieing as well*

Mini Lee: *in the big car now and making it dance!*

Perceptor: BJ! BJ? Oh, please go closer, WakeJumper, I must speak to young master Lamont.

WakeJumper: *chirps and holds onto Papa so he doesn't fall. Will scoot closer to BJ*

Perceptor: BJ? *not sure he can be heard over the music*

BJ: *thinks he hears someone calling his name* *will signal to Mini Lee to turn down the music for a bit*

Perceptor: Oh, thank you! *looks up at the tall orange and grey bot again* My word! What happened?

BJ: *slight shrug* Dunno.

Perceptor: Oh dear... *looks worriedly up at the erstwhile car*

General Lee: *headtilt*

Perceptor: *uncertainly* I don't suppose you've started speaking now that your bond with your host is healthy?

General Lee: *static, then he's flipping through radio stations* *startled sound*

WakeJumper: *squeaks at the startled sound, ready to grab Papa and run*

General Lee: *slowly* S-sorry.

BJ: *cheers and boogies again*

Perceptor: For what? *tilts his head* Why are you apologizing?

General Lee: S-Scared little.

Perceptor: *looks down at his daughter's face and gently strokes her helm, clicking softly and reassuringly even as he scolds himself for not noticing her reaction*

WakeJumper: *clicks and leans into the touches to her helm*

Perceptor: *softly* It's alright, sweetheart. There's nothing to be frightened by. This is just Mini Lee inside young BJ's car.

WakeJumper: *puzzled chirp* *that's not what scared her, Papa. She thought there was trouble when the big big made that sound*

General Lee: *gonna hunker down and click softly now*

Perceptor: *looks again to the bigger bot* *quiet wonder* Who modified the General Lee?

BJ: *shrug* W'sn't me.

Perceptor: *turns his puzzled and quizzical face toward the General Lee*

General Lee: *manages to look sheepish* Did bad?

Perceptor: What did you do?

General Lee: *cringing a bit* Fixed host first... Then fixed car.

Perceptor: *mystified* Fixed... car?

BJ: *blinks* Mini Lee thought 'e w'sn't part'a th' General Lee 'cause 'e ad t' fix me first... 'E made 't so 'e 'n Ah c'n bec'me th' General Lee.

Perceptor: *eyes go wide and bright with surprise* My stars and garters.


meanwhile, over in the bunker


Nyssa: *frizzy hair bouncing as she shakes her head in disagreement with something Wheeljack just said* I tell you, eating that slime from the Reaper ship gave me super powers!

Wheeljack: Aww, then why didn't anybody else that ate it get 'em? What? Ohslag. Ratchet, I found yer missin' nanobot sample.

Ratchet: //... I don't want to know.//

Wheeljack: Okay. Talk ta ya when ya get home. *back to arguing with her fellow engineer*


back outside


Ironhide: *hunkered down and fishing ducklings out of the pit so that the stones can be laid in it* You're too young to roast, and the oven's not ready.

ducklings: *excited beeping!*

Chrome: Duckits!

Ironhide: Uh huh. *glances over toward the dugout as he carries the little ducks to the pen in the barn, notices Bluestreak standing there feeding flowers to the cows. Snorts and turns to continue on his way as Chrome bounces around his feet*

Red Alert: *sudden squeal can be heard from right inside the schoolroom!*

Ironhide: *jerks his scanners to the max and looks for the danger!*

something: *red hot and smoking, it clips the iron rooster off the top of the barn before slamming into the dugout!*

Chrome: *babby is UNPRINTABLE*

WakeJumper: *is that terrified squeal just over yonder*

General Lee: *must protect the little peeps!!!*

Bluestreak: *echoing squeal, topples over as the cows gallop away with indignant snorts*

Ironhide: *ducklings in the pen, and then tells his son to stay and guard them before running out to either save whatever hit the dugout or help his wife kill it*

Blackout: *has already yanked the arrival out of the dugout and is growling in its face!*

Epps: *yelling orders even as he yanks Denver out of the corner where he'd just found her tucked with Saelen*

WakeJumper: *crying and clinging to Papa even as the big big hides them in his hands*

BJ: *using WORDS*

Sharpshot: *finding her husband!*

Fig: *arms around his wife even as he calls his own orders to those men under his authority*

Sharpshot: *only a brief hesitation, then she's transforming into a beautiful and massive rifle in Fig's hands*

Wheeljack: *barrelling out of the bunker with blood in her eye after hearing Bluestreak's distress call. Has left Nyssa behind and is only making angry noises in reply to Ratchet's demands for an update*

Jazz: *still sitting on his aft in the vegetable garden, where he'd been getting nice things for the humans' supper* Who is it? That looked like a bot!

Comet: *over to help mate up* Gonna kick the slagger's aft, if Blackout doesn't.

Jazz: *kinda destroyed an entire patch of snap beans there when he lost his footing*

Blackout: *growls and shakes the steaming hunk of metal in her hands* You better have a good explanation for this, Deadlock!

Drift: *as she's shaken* I yield! Help them!

Blackout: Transform! *shakes more*

Drift: *does so, looking ill as she's shaken further* Please! Help them!

Blackout: *frowns and pauses the shaking as she gets a look at the bot, and the unfamiliar, snow white colour theme*

Ironhide: Deadlock? Megatron's pet killer?

Drift: *quietly* N-not anymore. Please... Help my team.

Ironhide: *scowls at the terrified, worn looking femmebot* What team?

Drift: *sees the massive, black-colored mech* Diehard, Cyclonus, and Whirl... Sent me to get help. *optics are no longer red, but a purple bordering on blue. Or they would be, if they weren't almost white with distress*

Ironhide: Never heard of 'em. *looks at his wife*

Drift: *remembering what else Diehard instructed her to say* Diehard is a Prime!

Ironhide: *grabs her and shakes her himself* Where is he?

Drift: *as she's shaken* The moon!

Ironhide: *tosses her aside and turns to run toward the barrack, bellowing for Skymine and the Seekers*

Blackout: *catches the bot and scowls at her*

Drift: *looks a bit queasy* Please... Help them. Diehard's hurt. *and she's not in much better shape, for that matter*

Blackout: *looks around, and then walks over and stuffs the white femme into Wheeljack's arms* She's starving.

Wheeljack: Ack! *drops her Blue as she's forced to take the stranger* The *bleeeep*?

Bluestreak: *startled squeak*

WakeJumper: *peeking through the gaps in General Lee's fingers*

Wheeljack: *scans* Oh scrap! Blue, c'mon! We gotta go invade Ratchet's space! *gone!*

Bluestreak: *on his feet and hurrying after Wheeljack, rambling a mile a minute*

Perceptor: Oh, Bluestreak, please bring me along! *can't run that fast!*

Bluestreak: *skids and hurries back to get Perceptor*

Perceptor: *thanks him profusely*

Bluestreak: *ramblefit is a go* *doesn't even blink as WakeJumper scurries after him*

WakeJumper: *scoldies! Why you take her Papa?!*

Jazz: *watching from where he's hanging in Comet's arms* o.o Whoa. //Ratch, I think you better git back out here.//

Ratchet: //What's the situation? Wheeljack hasn't told me anything!// *frustrated*

Jazz: //Deadlock jes' made Earthfall. She's wearin' the Autobrand 'n cryin' fer help fer a Prime.//

Ratchet: //...// *UNPRINTABLE* //I'm on my way!// *yes, this means she just abandoned a meeting with government officials. At this point, she doesn't care, because they're refusing to listen to her explanations as to just why they won't be speaking with Optimus*

Jazz: //'Hide's got Skymine 'n the Seekers headin' fer the moon.// *looks down as bittySeekers come to huddle around Comet's feet*

Ratchet: *even more frustrated sound* *is going to be breaking several speed laws at this rate* //Keep me updated on things outside of the infirmary, Jazz.// *switches frequencies* //Wheeljack, report!//

Wheeljack: //Energon deprivation. 'n Nyssa's got scan capabilities.//

Ratchet: //...I'll ask about Nyssa later. How bad is Deadlock's energon deprivation?//

Wheeljack: *sounds a bit grim, and also very hurried* //She's nearly dry. 'N she says the resta her team's worse off.//

Ratchet: *curse* //Get her hooked up to a feed, and see if you can't find some calcien. She'll have a hard time keeping fuel in her tank otherwise.//

Wheeljack: //Doin' that. 'N I'm fillin' her tubes before I worry 'bout her tank.// *yeah, Ratchet. THAT dry* //Ack! Wake! Don't worry 'bout her dents yet!//

Ratchet: *bites back the even worse curse she about said* //How did Deadlock arrive?//

Wheeljack: *replies with a snapshot of the dugout as it looks now*

Ratchet: //Did she make planetfall without a ship?!//

Wheeljack: //Just like you did, the first time. Wait, no...// *snerk* //More like 'Hide did. Only nobody tried sellin' her a tooth.//

Ratchet: //With as poor of condition as she's in... It could have killed her. At least Ironhide had sufficiently fueled and had regular maintenance.//

Wheeljack: //...She sez her name's Drift, now.// *soft, shocked sound*

Ratchet: //I'll ask about that later. What's wrong?//

Wheeljack: *sadly* //Looks like we almost got another sparklet.//

Ratchet: //...She had a sparklet with her?//

Wheeljack: //Just a scar on her spark.//

Ratchet: *shocked* //What?!//

Wheeljack: //It was too little ta survive her starvation.//

Ratchet: *quietly* //Did she know?//

Wheeljack: //Doubt it. And I ain't tellin' her. Better ta find out when she meets it.//

Ratchet: //Good... I don't know what the news would do to her in her current state.//

Wheeljack: *startled squeal over comms*

Ratchet: //Wheeljack?!//

Wheeljack: //She knows a Prime alright. Her spark's got CNA related ta Optimus 'n Elita!//

Ratchet: //... How is that possible?//

Wheeljack: //Obviously her husband's Op's son.//

Ratchet: //...The sooner we meet him, the better.//

Wheeljack: //If he makes it here.// *sounds suddenly very grim*

Perceptor: *shares his panic with Ratchet*

Ratchet: -Perceptor? What's going on?- *to Wheeljack* //What's happened?//

Wheeljack: //She's goin' inta shock. And she said she was the best off of the bunch.//

Perceptor: *freak. Out*

Ratchet: *sends comfort to Perceptor* *will ping Blackout's comm*

Blackout: *growls*

Ratchet: //Blackout, I need to get back to the base as swiftly as possible. If I don't, we'll lose four bots.//

Blackout: //I'm trying to get the slaggin' Prime to settle down!//

Ratchet: //Where's Elita?//

Blackout: *grunts* //Getting the tranq. Slaggit, Prime, I'm not your enemy!//

Ratchet: *switches comm frequencies* //Optimus, circulate! Everything will be alright.//

Optimus: *confused garble of words he used during the first battle of Earth*

Fig: //Yeeouch! I got this side, Blackout!//

Ratchet: *soothingly* //Circulate, Optimus. You accidentally hit Fig.//

Optimus: //Fig? I don't see any humans?// *sounds terrified by this fact*

Ratchet: //Fig has a Pretender shell now.// *calm calm calm*

Optimus: *shout of surprise, and then silence*

Blackout: //He's down. What do you want, medic?//

Ratchet: //Get me back to base. We'll lose four Autobots, including Drift, otherwise.//

Blackout: *growls bad temperedly* //You make one comment about how my hold smells, and I'll drop you from the stratosphere.//

Ratchet: *just sends coordinates* *and more reassurances for Perceptor* *to Wheeljack* //Any improvement?//

Wheeljack: *frazzled busy signal*

Ratchet: *worried now. Wheeljack never usually uses the busy signal*

WakeJumper: //Mama! Wanna help!//

Fig: //I have never heard Kitty use that kinda language.// *is cuddling his frightened wife as he watches Catherine run across the lawn*

Ratchet: -Everything will be alright, Perceptor. Blackout's coming to bring me back to the base.-

Perceptor: *ack ack! Blank* *at least he's fainted instead of going into a memory loop this time*

WakeJumper: //Mama! Papa fall?!//

Ratchet: *soothingly* //Papa will be alright, WakeJumper. Why don't you make sure he gets plenty of cuddles so he feels better when he wakes up?//

WakeJumper: *worried whine, will retreat with Perceptor to someplace quiet*


Out on the interstate


Ratchet: *keeping sensors on alert for Blackout's approach, has her sirens blaring as she speeds down the interstate*

Blackout: *swoops right over from the back, so close that Ratchet will feel a brush of the larger femme's landing gear on her lights*

Ratchet: *quickly transforming, will reach up and grab hold of the landing gear*

Blackout: *up, up, and away!* *and trailing a scent trail of marinated raw hog*

Ratchet: *not going to comment on the smell, knows Blackout would keep to her earlier threat*

Blackout: *rotors straining as she guns toward home*

Ironhide: //Ratchet. Hustle your wide aft back to base. I've got potential fatalities.//

Ratchet: //En route.//

Ironhide: *choked feeling that makes Blackout growl and try to go faster*

Ratchet: *holding on for dear life!*

Blackout: *growls again as something buzzes her*

Beau: //Came t' git Ratchet, Blackout. Ah ain't repeatin' wh't 'Hahd's sayin'.//

Blackout: *quick twist that has the yellow medic flying through the air!*

Ratchet: *UNPRINTABLE*

Beau: *boy, he's gotten good at piloting the saucer. Catches Ratchet and gets her within easy reach of the recently-installed handholds on the surface of the saucer*

Ratchet: Oof! *clings!*

Beau: *not bothering with the fancy acrobatics that he likes to do when it's his turn at piloting. This time, it's all about speed... and ignoring Ratchet's swearing*

Chrome: //Bad words!// *sounds so approving*

Ratchet: //Don't repeat them, Chrome.//

Ironhide: *sends an image of a noble form prostrate in a bed of moon dust, the nearly familiar face dark with suffering as blue optics flicker in a fight to stay lit*

Ratchet: //Beau, get us up to where Ironhide is!//

Beau: //Yes'm.// *gonna do his best not to whoop and holler as he takes the ship out of the atmosphere*

Chrome: *in his best Ozzy voice* //MAMA AH COMIN' HOME!//

Beau: *cracking up and piloting the ship* XD

Ratchet: //...// *sigh*

Ironhide: //Chrome, what are you doing on this frequency?//

Chrome: //Cavary tummin!//

Ratchet: //We're en route. Beau is bringing us with the saucer.//

Beau: //W's Chrome's ahdeah t' bring th' saucer.//

Chrome: //Awhuh. Dat.//

Ironhide: *silence, but Ratchet will feel his emotional response to his son's cleverness mixed in with the painful anxiety for the young Prime*

Beau: *pushing the saucer to its speed limits*

Ratchet: //Ironhide, what condition are the others in? And have any of them spoken?//

Ironhide: //The blue woman has.// *snorts*

Ratchet: //...What did she say?//

Ironhide: //Told me to focus on the kid.//

Ratchet: //Alright. Can you see the saucer yet?//

Ironhide: *brief silence* //Nope.//

Ratchet: *displeased grumble*

Ironhide: //There you are.//

Ratchet: *will let go of the hand holds the moment the saucer is close enough for her to do so and still land safely. Once she's landed, she'll hurry over, scanning the prone forms laying in the lunar dust*

blue girl: *twitches and growls softly* *slightly squeaky voice* //Help Prime.// *about the same shape as Drift's been reported to be in, but the look in her single eye says that it wouldn't have been safe to send her on a mission alone*

young Prime: *flickering and struggling to stay alive and awake*

purple mech with silver horns: *expression unreadable, though he'll quietly growl and try to protect the Prime from the brightly colored stranger* *is showing just as much evidence of energon depletion as Drift was*

Ratchet: *moving to do what she can for the young Prime, even as Beau brings the saucer in for a landing*

Beau: //Ahrnhahd, Ratchet, got word th't th'se three're Cahclonus, Whirl, 'n Dahhard Prahm.//

Ironhide: //Diehard...//

Diehard: *flickering optics turn toward him*

Ironhide: *gruffly* //It fits.//

Ratchet: *working on getting Diehard stabilized*

Ironhide: *private channel, as he watches her work* //He gonna make it?//

Ratchet: *over the private channel* //He will if I have anything to say about it...// *optics narrow as she notices something* //He's got CNA other than his own in his spark coding.//

Ironhide: *frowns at the blue girl*

Whirl: *growls at him*

Ratchet: *slight headshake* //It's not her.//

Ironhide: *incredulous scowl* //Deadlock?//

Ratchet: //Apparently, her name is Drift, now.// *still working!*

Ironhide: //Whatever.// *watches Chrome come out of the saucer and drag a tank on wheels toward Ratchet*

Chrome: //Nomnomnom.// *stops and looks up at Aunty*

Ratchet: *small smile* //Very good, Chrome.// *quick check of the saucer, sees Beau give her a thumbs up. Will move to show Chrome how to feed bots with the tank* *will also work on adding energon and other fluids to their respective lines*

Diehard: *winces as the energon reaches his systems, then shudders faintly as his optics go white with pain*

Ratchet: *soothing sounds, even as she realizes that Diehard's paint flaked off on her hand. Is starting to understand just how bad off he is* //Ironhide, we have to get them to Earth.//

Ironhide: *points to where Skymine is a white shape in the sun as she watches Slipstream try to pull Whiplash out of a crater*

Ratchet: *pings Skymine's comm* *will also ping the Seekers*

Slipstream: *drops her husband and turns toward Ratchet*

Skymine: //Here, Ratch!//

Ratchet: //We need to transport these three to Earth. The sooner, the better.//

Skymine: //Ready, Ratch!//

Slipstream: *striding toward the group*

Whiplash: *following Slipstream once he's out of the crater. Dusty Seeker is dusty*

Ratchet: //Be gentle with this one, Skymine. He's hurt.//

Skymine: *transforms and walks closer*

Whirl: *unprintable shock as she looks up at the white giant*

Ratchet: *to Whirl* //Skymine will not harm you. She's built for transport.//

Whirl: *static. Looks down at Cyclonus' grip on her wrist*

Cyclonus: *low growl.

Whirl: *bibble sound and shuts up*

Ironhide: *to Cyclonus* //The slag's that about?//

Cyclonus: *quietly* //She was being disrespectful.//

Ironhide: //Hrrumph?// *scowl*

Cyclonus: //Whirl is damaged.//

Whirl: *is flailing weakly as Skymine picks her up and looks at her before transforming and loading her*

Cyclonus: *going to try and sit up now*

Slipstream: *will assist the purple mech*

Cyclonus: *slight frown for Slipstream*

Ratchet: *moving to carefully try and lift Diehard*

Ironhide: *helping Ratchet. Is so gentle in his lifting of one end of the black and silver bot*

Whiplash: *scooting to see where he can help*

Ironhide: *up the ramp and glances around. Sees the bed that Skymine made for Diehard and goes that way*

Ratchet: *bringing her end of Diehard, and following Ironhide's lead*

Ironhide: *gently lays down his end of the young Prime, and then straightens and frowns*

Ratchet: *does likewise, scans Diehard once more*

Diehard: *is a little better, but struggling to stay out of stasis lock*

Skymine: *strapping the poor sick mech down*

Ratchet: //Good job, Skymine.//

Skymine: //Others here.// *waves the straps next to where she's got Whirl hogtied*

Whirl: *would be o.0 if she had enough optics*

Ratchet: *to Slipstream* //Bring Cyclonus over to where there are straps.//

Slipstream: *gives her usual muted, resentful, glower as she does so*

Whiplash: *moving to appease Slipstream*

Slipstream: *shoulder toward the husband, and then gives a soundless in the vacuum squawk as Skymine smacks her across the skid plate with a strap*

Chrome: *thinks that's amazing!*

Beau: //Ah'm gonna 'ead back, Ratchet, 'Hahd.//

Ironhide: //Let me catch a ride.// *turns and exits Skymine's hold*

Ratchet: *checking to make sure everyone is secure*

Skymine: //Ratch? Deploy?//

Ratchet: //Close your hatch, and we can deploy.//

Chrome: *gleeful whoop over comms as the saucer takes off*

Ironhide: *snorts as he rides on his stomach on the saucer*

Skymine: *shuts her hatch, and then sets off her jets. Lumbers along for a few metres, and then lifts off and turns toward Earth* //Deploy!//


few hours later, back at the farm


Skymine: //Move truck!// *roaring down the road and hollering indignantly at the farm truck which is on the road despite the roadblocks that had been set out*

farm truck: *pulls over into the ditch*

Skymine: *whizzes past* Losers!

guys in truck: *rowdy cheers*

Skymine: Thrrrrrrpppt! Oops. Gopher.

Ratchet: *can't help but snerk at that*

Cyclonus: *displeased rumble*

Skymine: *grumbling as she gets her speed worked down and then turns into the driveway* Stupid rednecks.

Ratchet: I'll talk to them about being on the road. *yes, again*

WakeJumper: //MAMA!!!// *wants Mama here, right now*

Skymine: *stops and opens up the side of her hold into the ramp again* *softly* Deploy.

Ratchet: *calling for help to get Diehard, Cyclonus, and Whirl. Will hurry out*

Fig: *here he is*

Jazz: *watching as his lady steps forward*

Wheeljack: *ready to help*

WakeJumper: *crying and throwing a fit as she clings to Perceptor*

Wheeljack: *quietly* Get your guy 'n kid. I'll get these guys inta the hospital.

Sharpshot: *cuddling Showtime as the hatchling patpats her and clickstorms*

Ratchet: *moves to get Perceptor and WakeJumper, talking soothingly to both*

Wheeljack: *supervising the moving of the ailing onto flat bed trailers and then into the hospital*

Ratchet: Where's Blackout?

Sharpshot: Roasting a hog.

Ratchet: *as she cuddles husband and baby close* Ah. That would explain why she smelled of marinating hog.

Fig: *sniggerfit from where he's waiting to put Cyclonus' trailer through the hospital doorway*

Cyclonus: *so confused*

Ratchet: *ducks her head for a moment* *gently* -Perceptor?-

Perceptor: *optic shutters squeezed shut, hands clenched as he clings to her* -Just hold me, love.-

Sharpshot: *looks over her shoulder as a chopper heads toward the soccer field* Here are Senaiji and Bathilda.

Ratchet: -Alright.- *will hold Perceptor close, clicking softly to WakeJumper as the hatchling clings to both parents* *looks toward the chopper*

Ironhide: *walks over from the direction of the saucer hanger and hunkers down to scowl inquiringly into the chopper*

Bathilda: *nods a greeting from the front seat of the chopper*

Senaiji: *moving to get unbuckled so he can exit the chopper*

Ironhide: Did they stop expecting Optimus?

Senaiji: No, but we're down to two who still do.

Bathilda: *as she unbuckles* Ve received reports of seismic activity on se moon.

Ironhide: It wasn't seismic activity. It was Skymine.

Bathilda: Ah. Alvright sen. *nods

Ironhide: *gruffly, as he picks Chrome up under his arm with the sparklet's head to the back, and then pats the little skidplate* We've found another living Prime.

Senaiji: *jaw drops* What? Where?

Ironhide: On the moon.

Bathilda: ... Isn't sat vhere Sentinel vas found, too? *frowning*

Ironhide: *snort* No. This was on the other side.

Chrome: No tookies. *laughs and wriggles as his daddy pats his butt again*

Bathilda: ... *so confused*

Senaiji: *snickerfit*

Ironhide: *as he pats the little butt* Alright. One of you understands that.

Bathilda: *looks to Senaiji*

Senaiji: I'll explain it later. *looks to Ironhide* Who's the other Prime?

Ironhide: *sobers and goes very gruff as he puts down his sparklet and holds out his hands* Come see.

Senaiji: *will move to climb into Ironhide's hands, trusting the warrior to keep him safe*

Bathilda: *going to make sure President Pratt isn't getting into shenanigans again, and that India isn't stuffed in a closet or storage unit again*

Ironhide: *watches her go and then straightens up with Senaiji and turns toward the hospital* She's going be spitting tacks.

Senaiji: ... President Pratt locked India in a shed again, didn't she?

Ironhide: *without looking down as he strides along* India and Kae Yau have the President duck taped to that tree with the creepy bugs on it.

Senaiji: ... *groans and facepalms*

Ironhide: It could be worse. They could have tried to feed her some of the bugs.

Senaiji: ... Cicadas aren't good to eat though.

Ironhide: *rubs an audio with his free hand* So you never found out what was in that stew the other day.

Senaiji: ...

Ironhide: How long have you known Kae Yau?

Senaiji: *sigh* A very long time.

Ironhide: And you still eat her cooking.

Senaiji: I really need to stop that.

Ironhide: *snorts and pushes open the hospital door, then pauses to scan all the rooms to find the one he wants*

Chrome: *beeline for the room that contains Drift and Diehard*

Senaiji: *looking around and making note of details, as he always does*

Ironhide: *looks into the room and nods to Mikaela*

Mikaela: *softly* They're in stasis lock, but Ratchet says they're going to make it.

Senaiji: *looking toward the berth now* *concerned about the newcomers, hadn't realized that the other living Prime was hurt* *surprised as he sees how close the white bot on the berth is snuggled to the black and silver one*

Drift: *all but using Diehard as a pillow at this point, systems sounding a bit strained even in stasis*

Ironhide: *nods to Mikaela, and then walks over so that Senaiji can look down at the dark bot on the bed. Uneasy rumble of concern as he looks at the young one and sees how grey he looks under the dust* *is a bit unnerved by how much Diehard looks like Optimus, but it makes him love the kid, too*

Senaiji: *softly* What happened to him?

Ironhide: *so gruff* Energon deprivation.

Senaiji: *blink blink* It can have that effect on a bot?

Ironhide: You're read about Jetfire. He lost his slaggin' mind.

Senaiji: *wince, nod*

Ironhide: I think one of this bunch has, too.

Senaiji: ... Oh, goody.

Ironhide: *grunts* She's not important.

Senaiji: That's still worrisome, Ironhide.

Ironhide: She's got a keeper. *frowns and makes a sniffing sound* Ugh.

Senaiji: Ironhide?

Ironhide: Can't you smell that?

Senaiji: *will sniff the air* Something smells good.

Ironhide: *growls and mutters as he turns to go dump his friend beside the roasting pit*

((Written with random_xtras))

Continued here