Fic Excerpt [Running the Gauntlet] - Upcoming chapter, to be revised.
"All crew members to the command deck! WE'RE UNDER ATTACK!"
Their conversation cut short by the sound of Windcharger's voice echoing over the Wayfarer's PA system, Ratchet turns and hurries out of med bay, Blitzwing on his heels.
The Wayfarer shudders as it takes several shots to one side of the hull, the sound of the strikes echoing dully through the vent shafts as the craft tilts slightly to one side. Grabbing for the handrail, the two mechs steady themselves and redouble their efforts to reach their destination as quickly as possible.
"There really is never any rest for the weary, is there?" the triple changer asks with a scowl as they turn the corner at the next junction and continue up the hallway toward the bridge.
"No," Ratchet responds grimly. "You can't even rest when you're dead. I'm proof enough of that!"
Entering the bridge area, the pair find that Veras has already joined Brawn and Windcharger, the two minibots manning the main consoles of the ship. Moments after Ratchet and Blitzwing come on deck, Devcon arrives with Jaraxis perched on one shoulder. The Tarthan leaps from bounty hunter to medic, pressing close to Ratchet's helm in a need to be close to his linked companion for sake of security as the ship takes another blow.
"Shields to maximum!" Ratchet orders. "Bring up a visual!"
"Shield integrity is at eighty percent and holding, Ratchet," Windcharger reports as he works to get an image of what exactly it is that is assaulting them. "The Wayfarer's scanners picked up on the moving signatures first, but..."
The screen changes through two different camera angles before the third reveals the identity of their attackers. Six small, dark purple crafts are flying in tight formation towards the Wayfarer. As they approach, more shots are fired and while they are deflected by the shields for the most part, it's clear that they cannot be held off forever.
What's worse, behind them is the Junker target destination... Earth.
"...what the slag?" Ratchet peers up at the Cybertronian-sized assailants, one optic narrowed. "Tell me those aren't--"
"Sweeps!" Blitzwing supplies, growling. "Galvatron's lackeys!"
"And front line troops," Devcon adds as he turns for the door. "They'll keep attacking until this ship is destroyed! Or until Galvatron shows up and gives them orders, otherwise. We've probably stumbled into their patrol route on accident."
"Where are you going?" Brawn questions as he looks up from his own console. "We have firepower on board this crate!"
Devcon pauses by the door, a hard look on his faceplate. "The Wayfarer isn't a fighter craft, Brawn. And there's no telling when more of those slag heaps will show up or if they've contacted their leader! If you lot are going to make it to Earth with your cargo in tact, they've got to be chased away. They know me, my reputation and what I'm capable of... Let me take care of them."
As the Wayfarer shudders under the impact of more fire, the shield glowing bright blue as it deflects, Windcharger glances up at Ratchet. "You're in charge here, Ratchet, for as long as Prowl is still infected! What are your orders?"
"Keep going and don't look back," Blitzwing responds before the medic can so much as get a single word out. Following Devcon, the ex-Decepticon heads for the door. "Leave those Sweeps to us!"
"Are you crazy?!" Ratchet exclaims, optics wide. "Just because Tashk is dead doesn't mean Galvatron doesn't still have a price on your head! If those Sweeps see you--!"
"And who the frag is going to fix my third mode once we get to Earth if you buy it again? Or maybe reformat me so I can ditch my old life and the bounty on my head?" Blitzwing retorts. "I'm scrap anyway if this ship goes down, so shut up and do your job while I do mine, Doc. You can give me one of those stupid looking scarves when I get back!"
With that, he's gone. Ratchet exhales loudly through his vents, trying not to smile a little at the triple changer's last words as he turns back to the business at hand. There will be time to congratulate Blitzwing on his decision later. He hopes. "Windcharger, you and Veras get down to med bay and secure the others! Brawn, you're here with me on deck. Get the exterior defenses fully online and operate them manually!"
As Windcharger and Veras head for the door, Brawn glances back at Ratchet with wide optics. "What? It'd be easier to program them for 'Con signatures!"
"If we do that, they'll target Blitzwing along with the Sweeps!" Ratchet replies as he sits down in the command chair. "Switching the Wayfarer to manual control, now. Jaraxis, man the communications terminal. We need an open link to Autobot City and we need it now!"
Moments later, Blitzwing and Devcon appear on screen in their flight modes, rushing toward their foes without fear. The Sweeps break into two groups and open fire on the new targets, stray shots bouncing into the shuttle's shields.
"Shields down to sixty two percent!" Brawn warns. "Defenses online!"
As Jaraxis leaves his companion's shoulder to get to the communication console, Ratchet waits with tense relays while the command chair shifts back, the part of the floor before it rising to transform out with manual controls at the ready. Taking the steering mechanism in hand, the medic extends a set of input connectors from one wrist and plugs directly into the system.
"Prowl, Ironhide and Wheeljack secured!" Windcharger reports over the PA.
"Don't spare the firepower if they give chase, Brawn," Ratchet orders as he ignites the thrusters.
"Doc...?"
Ratchet glances to his fellow Junker a with determined, pained expression. "We didn't survive the war on Tarth and Tashk's onslaught to die with Earth just out of reach! Kill them if you have to!"
"Roger that," Brawn responds grimly as he swivels in the chair and hooks into the console. "Punch it!"
"Retracting shield output to fifty percent and diverting power to propulsion systems!" As the Wayfarer angles away from the dog fighting Cybertronians, Ratchet fires the thrusters to full and cuts into the PA system. "Hold onto your dental plates, bots! We're goin' in, full tilt!"
[To be continued...]