NOTE: It was hard to write given the tragedy in Japan. May the people of Japan find heart. My prayers are with you and all the people of Earth everywhere who suffer.
The Diego Diaries: Ring, ring
=0=Autobot City, Mars
At that moment a call rang through. Turning slightly, Optimus answered it. "Prime here."
"Optimus, this is Will Lennox."
"Major Lennox," Prime acknowledged.
"Optimus, Epps just called me. He told me that some people at some of the big telescope arrays here on Earth have been picking up traffic around Mars and out to the solar well. What's up?"
Prime paused a moment, thinking. Then he told the truth. "We have been receiving refugees, femmes and children among them. We have been gathering them on Mars. We have a facility there to guard Shockwave. We have expanded it to deal with the influx of refugees. We didn't feel that Diego Garcia could handle them and we are not sure that Earth would welcome them."
It was silent a moment. "They heard your call."
"Yes, William, they did. I called for Cybertronians, hoping for soldiers. We have gotten them and refugees as well. We cannot turn them away."
"No one would expect you to," Will agreed. "You might want to know that civilians are on to you and that they probably haven't reported it. The civilian astronomers and the military aren't exactly friendly."
"Affirmative," Prime said turning and looking at Ratchet. "I think I will contact General Morshower and inform him of our situation. Then perhaps Ratchet, Perceptor and Wheeljack can contact the astronomers and other interested scientific parties to explain and allay fears."
"That would be a good idea," Lennox said. "Where are you now? Mars?"
Prime hesitated and then nodded. "We are here on Mars."
"How's Shockwave? Does he approve of his new accommodations?" Lennox asked, the smile in his voice evident to everyone listening.
"I'm not sure he cares at the moment," Prime said returning the smile. "But he's contained."
"Like that matters I hope," Will replied. "We will be back in a week. Take care, Optimus."
"And you as well. Give our best wishes to your wife and daughter," Prime replied.
"I will," Lennox said and then he signed off.
Prime considered the new intel a moment and then turned back to Leader-1 who stood looking at him with suspicion. "What was that all about?" Leader-1 asked.
"We have allies on the next planet from the sun, the third one. They are not aware of the extent of our settlement on this planet. We have to be careful about this and we have to continue to cultivate our friendships with them," Optimus explained.
"Since when can we trust anyone?" Leader-1 persisted. "How can we know they won't turn on us at any moment?"
"Because they are our allies," Prime said firmly. "We have been through the fire together. Right now, the only thing you need to worry about is settling in to the city. We have medical evaluations planned for each of you and we want to interview you to find out what you know that can be helpful intel toward our security and finding others who are wandering lost."
"You want to 'interview' us," Leader-1 retorted. His body language became even more defensive. "Is that all you want to do?"
"That is all that is required," Prime said. He knelt and looked at the little con. "You have had difficult experiences but you are among friends now. Our city is for all our people. We observe Cybertronian law. Right now, we have martial law imposed with limitations because of the danger of Decepticon attack. But when it is clear that we have a good idea of the galaxy beyond here we will be modifying it with the ultimate goal of eliminating it. Right now, we have to keep tight security."
Leader-1 looked at him with distrust on his face. "What if we don't want to be interviewed?"
Prime considered him. "There is only one leader here and the Matrix makes that me. There is only one set of laws here, Cybertron's. If you live here you will be expected to obey them. You will be subject to the penalties of those laws if you break them, just like on Cybertron. I would suggest that you relax and enjoy the fact that you are safe. A lot of Autobot effort was expended to make that happen."
"The Autobots are no better than the Decepticons," Leader-1 said. Two mini-cons stepped forward and one took his arm.
"This isn't what we came all this way to do. We came here for safety and the Prime says we have it. We have Cybertron's legal protections, Leader-1. We aren't here to provoke fights," the first one, a brown and gold mini-con said.
Leader-1 turned and looked at the two of them with a harsh expression. "You trust his word?"
They looked at him and then the one bot nodded. "Yes."
Leader-1 looked at him for a moment and then turned. "I am the leader of our party. We have the right to our own counsel and quarters. We don't wish to live in the city with the Autobots. You are no better than the cons. You didn't help us. We had to take care of ourselves and a lot of villages didn't make it. We don't need your help."
Prime considered him. "You can't make that decision for the others without their consent. You know Cybertronian law. You must have the consent of the governed. As for living on your own … that isn't possible. We are prepared at the moment to defend only a certain amount of space. Having too many cities and villages to defend is a zero sum game. You will live in the city, you will abide by Cybertronian law or you will live in the brig. It's your choice. I am the leader of our people and this place. When things change, when the threat to Mars is over, then other cities and villages can be built. Until then, no."
Leader-1 stepped closer, his anger evident. "You are no better than the Cons. You want to use us for your own purposes. We know our value to you big bots. You want to power link us and use us against the Cons. Tell me that I'm wrong."
"I would, Leader-1 but you wouldn't believe me," Prime said straightening.
"Craggy little slaggers," a voice said behind Prime.
Prime turned and noticed Starscream followed by Cloud Burst and Thundercracker. They had entered and watched the exchange. The mini-cons, spotting the Seekers too stepped back, fear on their faces. Leader-1 to his credit didn't, stepping in front of his people and looking at Prime and Starscream with hatred. "You have Seekers here? You have Starscream here?"
Prime turned and looked down. "They are refugees too. We have eleven adults and three hatchlings. They are law abiding citizens of Autobot City and they are welcome here."
"SEEKERS! SEEKERS ARE WELCOME HERE!" Leader-1 said hotly. He turned to his fellows, some of whom were terrified. "What did I tell you! He's no better than Megatron! We can't stay here!"
"Of course you will," Starscream said turning to Prime. "We know you would have trouble with the little slaggers so we came to present ourselves. Mini-cons seem to have a problem with us. We want you to know, Prime, that if there is trouble it won't be because we provoked it." He turned and looked at the little cons. "We have taken refuge here and there are more coming. Prime believes its important for all our types to survive, even you for some reason. You would do well to shut up and assimilate just like we did. Life here is good."
Prime suppressed a smile. "Starscream and the Seekers have given their oaths. They are part of our city. You will be too. As for leaving, we don't have shuttles to spare and Fortress Maximus and Omega are staying here by their own admission. Unless you are prepared to drive off this planet I would suggest you relax and see what peace feels like."
Leader-1 looked at them with something akin to hatred. Then he moved toward the door, the others following. When they had left Starscream turned to Prime. "I have no idea why those little slaggers were created. They have a sour disposition."
"They do," Prime said with a chuckle.
"I suppose if some underground plumbing gets clogged we can used one to ram the obstruction out. They are hard helmed enough for the task." He paused. "We have Seekers out there. We would like to talk to them and see if they will defect."
"I would appreciate that. Springer has a site for the meet up and he's got a Wrecker crew to keep the peace. If you two will get together now we can see what transpires. I will be available to take their oaths upon notification. Right now, I think I will see how the mini-cons get through the processing."
"Good luck," Starscream said moving to allow Prime to go. "You will need it with those fraggers."
Prime's chuckle lingered as he left and then Starscream turned to Springer. He looked at him intently and then shook his helm. "I know you from some place."
Springer looked at Thundercracker who rolled his optics as he shook his head. Springer chuckled. "I almost killed you a few times and you almost killed me. That's all you need to know, Starscream."
"I suppose," Starscream said, uncertainty in his voice. He shrugged. "That was then." He turned and paused, looking at Springer with the old familiar smirk. "After you."
"Oh after you," Springer countered. "Age before beauty."
Starscream looked at him and then grinned, stepping forward. "Pearls before swine," he said.
Springer laughed and followed.
=0=Inside
Bumblebee, Gears, Cliffjumper, Arcee and other resident mini-cons helped shepherd the refugees through the stations set up to sort them out. They were a small version of the mini-con model to which Bumblebee and the others belonged. These mini-cons were no taller than an human male, five feet six to ten inches in height the average. Some where as short as human children. Five feet was normal for this model.
There were femmes, a rare thing among mini-cons this small and among them were the tiniest sparklings and younglings. Bumblebee, holding a very new sparkling for his carrier smiled at the tiny creature who looked at him with bright blue optics. It had wings, another rarity among this small model.
Ratchet, moving among the crowd sorted the femmes, sparklings and younglings into separate groups, ushering them to the medical stations for examination and repair. He towered over them and took care to manage them gently. They were all showing signs of emotional trauma from their ordeal.
Down the hallway coming through the door, a small blue and red mini-con was arguing with Kup. He was loud and all paused watching as Kup took his verbal abuse. They stopped squaring off, the two nearly nose to nose as Kup bent down giving the little fellow the stink eye. Then Leader-1 pushed him, shoving his face back. Kup, standing back up reached down and picked up the mini-con by the scruff of his neck. Turning, looking at Magnus, he got the nod. The two then turned and with Leader-1 yelling and struggling they both disappeared down the corridor to the brig.
The room and corridors was deadly silent as frightened mini-cons stared at them. Ultra Magnus stepped forward, pausing. "Leader-1 was disturbing the peace. We have taken him to the brig to calm down. We want you to know that you are safe and protected here. You are protected from the Cons and from the bad leadership of your own people. When he calms down we will release him. But for now we don't want him to add to your strain. We would like you to move through the process and when you have completed that you will be given quarters of your own and access to the full facility. We want you to be welcome at home."
They looked at him, pausing a moment and then they turned subdued and obedient. Ratchet, kneeling beside three little younglings smiled. "Come on into Medbay. I have rust sticks."
They looked at him, amazed that an unexpected luxury would be available. Following him, their carriers and genitors behind, they walked into Medbay. The rest of the group began to move through the process, getting ever closer to the freedom that they had not seen in eons.
=0=On a ridge nearby
They stood together, four Seekers and a hatchling waiting for the transient Seekers to come. Seven of them were circling the planet at contact and they agreed to come to speak to Starscream, aware that there would be a Wrecker crew heavily armed nearby. They came from the sky, seven battered and dirty gray Seekers landing warily on the ground before Starscream, Thundercracker, Cloud Burst and Sky Warp.
They looked at each other, the battle hardened and the calm. The new Seekers were stained from their own energon, marked with oil and scars of battle. Their dull gray armor looked like it hadn't been cared for properly in years. Starscream on the other hand was beautiful, luminously so. He had been shined and buffed, his colors detailed. He held a small hatchling in his arms, the symbol of the level of security and autonomy that they had in this place of refuge.
One of them, a big battle scarred Seeker stepped forward. "Starscream," he said nodding, his optics dropping to the hatchling. "You have a hatchling." His voice was filled with awe and surprise.
"Three to be exact," Starscream said smiling with enormous pride at his greatest accomplishment. "This place allows for hope and a future. Our trine and others are here giving our oaths to the Prime and he has kept his promise to us. We are at peace."
The Seeker nodded. "Why?"
"Because Megatron has a death order out on us. I am sure you know," Starscream replied nodding.
The Seeker startled. "No. I was not aware. Why?"
"Why does he do anything? He just hates. I grow tired of it. He nearly killed me and if I had not been brought here to the Autobots and their medic I would have gone to the Matrix myself from his cruelty." He paused a moment, shifting the infant in his arms. "I want us to survive. I want us to flourish. It is my biggest and most pressing goal, to see that we continue. This place can make that happen. I want you to come here and live in peace. I want to see Seekerlings, hatchlings playing here, flying in the skies. These are good skies. We plan to make our own city in the mountains nearby when the threat of Megatron passes. Prime agreed already."
"And you trust and believe him?" the Seeker asked, uncertainty in his voice.
"I do," Starscream said moving forward. He looked at all of them a moment. "You know me. I am Starscream, the highest ranking Seeker in the Decepticons. I became one because of my principles, the idea that merit rules advancement. I will agree that I lost my way a while. Megatron has that effect on you. But the principles I hold have never wavered. We will become extinct unless we come here and make our home. Megatron will hunt us down and kill us all until we are just a legend in someone's stories. You have no place else to go. Come here. I will protect you. Prime and I have understandings."
"What are they?" the Seeker asked.
Starscream smiled. "I am his ally and he is mine."
They stood a moment, silence so heavy it felt like a mantle on their shoulders. "How can we trust that this will be so? How can we expect that the Decepticons will not defeat the Autobots?"
Starscream smiled and nodded. "They have taken Shockwave into custody, defeating him in battle."
"Shockwave?" the Seeker said, stepping back in surprise.
"Shockwave. The fragger underestimated the Prime. Fatal mistake."
The big Seeker turned and looked at the others, expressions of shock evident among them too. Then he turned to Starscream, wavering. "You trust Prime."
"I do," Starscream said nodding. He looked at his hatchling who looked up at him with a smile, his little red optics gleaming with love. Starscream smiled. "I do trust him with the life of my hatchlings."
The wind blew gently as they stood together, nearby arrayed around them a heavily armed Wrecker crew watching. It was midday on Mars, two gigantic Guardian Autobots had found refuge at last and the moment of truth had arrived. They had no where to go, they had a death sentence upon them and they were weary down to the core of their spark.
"All right," the big Seeker said, a heavy load falling off his shoulders. "I am tired."
Starscream nodded, looking at them with sympathy. "It will be better soon," he said, visions of Megatron filling his processor. More of them were here he thought. More of them meant a chance their kind would survive and that Seekers would live on long after Megatron killed him. With a sad smile, Starscream commed Prime to come.
=0=TBC
2011 (3)
