The Diego Diaries: Function Over Form (dd6.10)
-0-On the other side
The leadership of the confederation stood on the deck talking together about the situation. They had been informed about the newcomers when they were discussing the perplexing situation on the four worlds of the metallics. They had come together on a ship and were now facing what might be more of the same species coming to see what was going on as well. This was a big problem given that they had ruled this sector or three of space to the mutual benefit of everyone there for eons. They were peaceful, prosperous, and had similar important features including their religion.
Now, this.
Their pilot had told them of the big alien fleet appearing so they called up ships from the vastness of their combined armed forces, a spectacle that usually sent intruders running. Unfortunately, they were turning out to be not just any intruders but the leader of the metallics themselves. Though they were sure the newcomers couldn't decode their languages easily, they knew the newcomer's own. They had learned them through a long period of contact with the inhabitants of the four worlds in dispute.
Optimus Prime.
They had heard that name before. Everyone knew of the metallic's robot civil war. They were the plague, the doom bringers. Everyone who could either avoid or ban them entirely from their own space, cities, stations and the like did. Wherever the brutish species went, war, death, destruction, and chaos followed. Now they were here led by their putative leader. It couldn't get worse than this.
"Then we're in agreement? We will defend the planets against them?" one asked the others, all of whom were the leaders of their own factions united under a confederation named after their principal god, Vergo. All of them nodded. It was then that the contact with Prime was announced, so they walked to the front view screen of their vessel to gather to speak. As they did, the flood of their ships kept coming.
-0-Other side of the line
"I am Optimus Prime. I am here to secure the habitation and lives of my people. I expect to be allowed to go to their colonies without molestation." He stared at the screen as if to do so would drive home the depth of his commitment to his words.
They didn't speak but then they were telepathic and perhaps discussing the situation between them. One of them turned to Prime, apparently the one who was to speak for everyone. "Optimus Prime, I am Fortune of the Seyth. I am the spokesman for the Vergo Confederation to which all of us belong. You are trespassing on our domain. You must leave now."
Prime stared silently at all of them for a moment testing their unity and sense of calm. They didn't rise to the bait. They were solemn, serious and composed. "The four worlds where my people live are my domain. I am here to see them and to assist. You are not going to oppose that. We are aware of a catastrophe and we are here to help our people even if it means caring for them in their deaths. You will not blockade this and you will not pillage them or their colonies."
"This is our domain. They stayed here on sufferance and now you have to leave. What exists there was not agreed upon by any of us. They came without permission. We are not aware of any problems below. But we are going to defend our sovereign territory from you, Cybertronian. You won't bring your wars here. What's there is forfeit. You do not have our permission to proceed and we're ready to fight to ensure that you pay for any actions you're prepared to undertake," Fortune said as the others nodded. "You may have noticed the vastness of our forces. We have not yet scratched the surface of what we can bring to a confrontation."
"Nor have I," Prime said. :Prowl, call up the dreads:
Prowl nodded, then stepped to communications. While he did, Prime continued. "We are going to take our dead and ensure that the technology and infrastructure left does not fall into the wrong hands. We have treaties that forbid that from happening."
"We have not signed your treaties," Fortune replied. "They have no sway over us. As for the colonies, they exist in our domain. Their contents are forfeit. You may leave and there will be no harm. Stay and there will be war."
It was then that flashes of light, huge and brilliant began to appear visually drowning everything out before they took solid form. At that moment, the elevator on Xantium opened as several mechs walked onto the deck. Metroplex, Fort Max, Turbine, Tennyson, Dangerous, and Clipper walked toward Prime to gather around him. Typhoon stared downward at Prime. "You called, we came. Tell us what you will, Prime, and it will be done. I have spoken." The others nodded as they waited.
"Transform into ships, then bring your guns to bear across the way where the enemy gathers," he said quietly before turning toward the screen again. "We are here for our people. You will stand down to allow it. We are not going to leave them to be pillaged for technology."
The four alternated between looking at Prime and the sudden unannounced appearance of four of the biggest, most heavily armed ships any of them had ever seen. The vessels had materialized out of thin air, their massive guns pointed their way. Each was vast and seethed lethal energy. As the ships finally snapped together, their hangar doors opened. A swarm of Seekers flew out of all of them, flying in a cloud toward each other. Leading them, Warlord, son of Rainmaker flew. He was easy to spot even in the darkness around them. He was on fire. Flames burned on his body, flowing behind him as he led the swarm and indicated his supremacy.
Others on the ships and those around the group already here joined him. They swarmed like blackbirds at night, flying upward in a seething ball, turning and twisting together as they signaled their willingness to fight. Like giant schools of fish turning in unison, they followed Warlord. Back and forth along the dividing line, upward, downward, together they flew, then broke the group to land on the hulls of ships along the front line.
Warlord slowed to a stop, then transformed into root mode. He pulled a sword from its scabbard on his back and held it up. It was burning like a bonfire as he saluted his enemies, then he turned to fly in root mode to Xantium. When he arrived he stepped inside the hatch, walked to Prime, then knelt on one knee. "Command me, Optimus Prime. I am yours."
Everyone in the room nodded, as they turned toward Prime. The screen behind them watched and listened as Warlord rose to stand. The flames on his body died down and disappeared. Prime nodded. "I accept your service with gratitude," he replied, then turned back to the screen. "You have four joors to move away so that we can collect our dead and salvage what cultural aspects of life may be there that we can. If you do not, then we will bring our challenge forward. Your unwillingness to allow us to tend to our dead shames you and your alliance."
They stared at Prime, then the screen went back to an image of space around them. It was silent a moment, then Whirl turned to Prime. "They're organizing an encirclement, Optimus."
"Too bad for them that we have bridges," Rainmaker said darkly. "What do you will, Prime?"
Optimus glanced at Prowl. "We need to prepare for an encirclement. Have the bridges at Mars be ready to do whatever we need. For now, I want Raptor, Hard Drive, Typhoon, Ironhide, and Ratchet to accompany me to the planet below. I want to see what's happening and what we have to do." He looked at One who sat nearly with a solemn air about him, or so it seemed with his diminished features. "We want everything you can tell me about the colony below. Tell us now or die."
One nodded, then arose with Wheeljack who had just arrived with Jetta, Ultra Magnus, and Perceptor. The two walked to a computer to get details of what lay below. Magnus turned to Prime. "I'm coming too."
"And me," Jetta said grimly. "We will all go, Prime. We have experience with this sort of thing. We could have combat in the colony."
Prime nodded as he arose. "Very well," he said. He glanced at Prowl. "You have command of the group. I give you discretion. When I get back, bridge to another ship. No single senior Autobot commander will be on the same ship as any other. That goes for both you and Rainmaker, Starscream."
Starscream stood then nodded. "I will move to Dangerous. I would suggest, Elder, that you remove to Typhoon."
"I am on my way," Rainmaker said. "I would suggest that my son goes with you, Prime, to be your optics in the sky."
"I agree," Prime said as he moved toward the elevator nearby. The others followed. Prowl watched them go, then turned to the job at hand. It was clear that the Confederation's strategy was to encircle them, then destroy everything inside. Fortunately for the Autobots, Prowl was a master at thwarting this very strategy.
-0-On the ground
They materialized together with Ratchet joining them seconds later. They were on a street in the colony's main city, one that had a number, not a name. In typical Functionalist fashion, they had only the most basic touches to their amenities. Ratchet turned slowly. "No one is around. This isn't good."
"No, it isn't. I speculate," Hard Drive said digging through terrible memories, "that everyone who wasn't coming with the Council was told to go to their personal dwellings, then 'recalled' there. It would be efficient, prevent panic, and prevent the Council from seeing the outcome of their actions, the cowards."
"Like that would matter," Jetta said with an appalled tone.
"There's a neighborhood, Prime. We can find out there," Ratchet said grimly as he began to walk that way.
"Be aware of any aliens around. Magnus, you scan for them. Link with Raptor and Hard Drive," Prime said. "Warlord, I need optics in the sky."
Warlord nodded, stepped back to transform and was in the air nearly immediately.
"Prime to Warlord," he said grimly.
:Warlord here:
"Prioritize the aliens but also see if anyone might be anywhere else. I refuse to accept they are all dead without proof," Optimus said.
:Understood. Warlord out:
Everyone turned toward the street to follow Ratchet who was nearly at the door of a large building that was housing for the citizens of the colony.
-0-The Hourly News Breaking News! edition, Autobot City, Primal Colony of Mars, Cybertron and the Empire
"As of the hour, the Office of the Primes has no new bulletins," Lim-Lee began. "Apparently, Commander Jazz of the Office of Strategic Communications has no updates as well. The latest and clearest information is as follows. A migration heeding the signal of Optimus Prime, Starscream and the Great Elder nearly crossed into disputed territory when they were blocked by a Seeker patrol. The portion of the sector they were flying toward is that held by Razorclaw, the Predacon leader of the local area Decepticon forces. Though that group is contained and overawed by the forces of the Prime, they're an irritant and for those unsuspecting refugees that come from that direction, a real danger.
"The refugees were intercepted, then told of colony worlds in the Benzuli Expansion on the far side of the Cybertronian Empire that borders what is known on star maps as Sector 221-B, the Great Unknown. That is also the area of the Great Rifts and a dangerously unknown territory called The Darkness. It's marked on star charts as forbidden territory for Cybertronian exploration and expansion.
"Apparently, during the Diaspora, a number of groups made their way that direction escaping our civil war. Some of them took a chance to create shelter in the Rifts using them to their advantage for safety. Though it is highly risky and there are tales of strange aliens and events happening there, they found refuge. This group is one of them. They told of four colony worlds that the Prime is currently attending. Unfortunately for our side, there are aliens there that want to disallow our presence. Given the gravity of the situation and what's at stake, Optimus Prime is there personally to attend to the situation.
"He has called for the secondary fleet to join him to show the might and power that he brings to any disagreement that might lead to fighting. So far, there is no word that this has happened nor is there any word on the condition of the refugees in the colonies. As it stands now, we are at equilibrium. The Office of Strategic Communications is planning an update at the top of the joor all things being equal. Everyone is working very hard to resolve this issue and bring our people home."
The humans in the tower glanced at each other. Then Morshower stood to pace. "This has fighting written all over it. Prime's either in combat or he's headed that way."
"I hope you're wrong, Glenn," Barbara Morshower said with some anxiety. "These are our friends."
Glenn turned to her with a worried expression. "I know. I hope I am too."
-0-Out there
They entered a home to find an awful sight. Four individuals, one of them a child, were lying around the lounge room. They were dead. A check of the other units produced the same result. Walking out into the sunshine, Optimus Prime halted with his soldiers. Standing down the street heavily armed, a number of aliens watched. Prime turned to his mechs with a grim expression. "Spread out," he said. "I do not want to make this too easy," he said as they stepped back and outward to make a line that crossed the street. It was incredibly terribly tragically silent.
-0-TBC 5-19-17 edited 5-19-17