The Diego Diaries: 2200 (dd6 153)
-0-Park Land, Mare Tranquilitatis District, Autobot City, Primal Colony of Mars, Cybertron and the Empire
It was close to 2200 when Springer rode up along with his usual patrol. Riding past a nervous Bezel and Lon, the team dismounted near a railing that separated the park from the path that led all around the former gravel pit connecting the 18 towers that surrounded it in their glittering splendor. Hitching their horses, they walked to the table where the two sat. Parking himself next to Bezel, Springer grinned. "I heard this was the place to be."
Bezel stared at the ground. "I hope he doesn't come."
Behind them, footfalls caught their attention. They turned to see Ratchet, Ironhide, Alor, and Blackjack walk toward them. Lon stood up and stretched anxiously. Ratchet stepped in front of both. "You look tense. Apparently, your caste never settled slag this way or am I wrong?"
"No," Lon said grimly. "We never got down to it. Fighting with insults usually settled things, that and cold silence."
"Sounds crappy," Ratchet said. "We always did it this way. Ironhide, however, wants to put a gloss on it for the long term." He glanced at Ironhide who was watching a group walk down the street toward them. They crossed at the light and joined everyone. It was Hard Drive, Turbine, Delphi, and Raptor.
The big mechs gathered a moment to talk, then Hard Drive walked over to Lon and Bezel, who stood. They both stared at the gathered mechs with something akin to a mix of hope and fear. "I hear that your brother is giving you slag about The System and that he's not learning fast enough to avoid an honor fight with Prime. I also hear that its terribly detrimental to your ada that he does this and maybe, even your atar,"
Bezel nodded with a miserable expression on his face. "Yes, sir." Lon slipped his arm around Bezel and squeezed.
"Well, that's not going to continue," Hardie said. "We're here to invoke a court which is in our power. We do so for the common good. When your brother gets here we will set the goals and practices, then you can settle it. We believe in you and whether you believe it or not, we believe in your brother. He will change. We will ensure it. We can impose any remedy we wish regardless of the outcome of this fight. You do understand that, right?"
"Yes, Abba," Bezel said as he bowed his helm respectfully.
"Good, infant," Hardie said. "I think I'll sit here. Springer? You're my second."
Springer looked at Hard Drive who he had placed on such a high pedestal that he needed binoculars to see him and nodded. "Okay." Then he grinned. "What's a second?"
"I'll tell you when the time comes." He looked at Drift. "You're the referee. You're Circle. It's assumed you have a conscience."
Huge laughter met that, then Lon flinched. "I see him. He's coming."
Everyone turned to look at the street where a big good looking youngling mech was walking. He slowed at the sight greeting him, then continued. He crossed the highway, stepped onto the sidewalk, then halted. "What's this, Bezel?"
Hardie stood. "I'm General Hard Drive of Praxus. I'm senior Praxian Military Elite on world and thus, I have total and ultimate control of our caste. Do you acknowledge that?"
Cargo stared at him, then his brother. "I thought you said our caste didn't exist?"
"You are talking to me," Hardie said in his general's voice.
The kid looked at him, then nodded. "If The System were going, yeah. You would be."
"You wish it returned," Hardie asked.
He nodded. "Yes. It was better then."
No one said anything, so fascinated by the hidden world of High Caste Rules were they. They listened as they stood around the slim immaculate figure of one of the oldest Cybertronians around. Ratchet who stood next to Ironhide watched with fascination. Low castes and mids had a brawl in an alley for disputes and it was settled. This slag seemed to require lawyers.
"I'm exerting my authority," Hardie said. "You're now within the bounds of my power. I'm invoking a court to help settle this matter in a way that leaves no ambiguity. When this fight is settled, then the conflict between you is finished forever. I reserve the right to impose. Understand?" he asked as he glanced at Bezel. Both he and Lon nodded. He looked at Cargo who was looking at him with a slightly concerned expression on his handsome face.
"You could impose slag," Cargo said.
"You have no choice. I could invoke a shunning. Would you prefer that?" Hardie asked calmly.
Cargo's expression darkened. "No."
"Then you must submit." He looked at Bezel and Lon. "Do you submit to my authority on this and every other matter regarding the caste we belong to?"
Lon and Bezel bowed their helms. "Yes, Abba," Bezel said respectfully.
Hardie looked at Cargo. "Do you submit?"
He stared at Hardie for a moment, then nodded. "I have to."
"You don't have to but then, you can be shunned if you say no," Hardie said. "I am the last word here."
Cargo nodded. "Very well," he said coldly.
Hardie turned to the others. "Raptor, Blackjack, Ironhide, Turbine, and Delphi, you will stand in judgment with me but I reserve the solution to my own counsel."
They nodded and bowed their helms almost as one. Hardie turned to Cargo. "You and your brother will resolve this with fists. You will do so with honor. No cheap shots, no low blows. Springer will be my second. I will deploy him when its warranted. Drift will referee. We will make the circle. If anyone of you go out of it more than once during the three rounds, you lose. When the last round is finished, I will consult with the court, then make my final decision. Do you understand?"
Bezel nodded, then Cargo.
Hardie turned to the others. "Make a circle."
The group glanced at each other, then moved to make one. Directed to step back until it was of good size, Hardie turned to Springer. "Escort the two to the center. Draw a line between them in the sand. Then step out. Drift? You will remain in the circle to check against violations of the code for the fight. Springer, you will watch to see if anyone steps over the line. Understood?"
Springer nodded, then looked at the two. "Come on," he said, then stepped into the circle. Hardie and the court walked to the nearby table and climbed onto it. They would sit and watch without comment or intervention. Entering the circle, the two brothers followed Springer to the middle. Facing each other, Springer drew a line in the sandy soil. Drift followed him, then watched as Springer stepped out.
"You will begin each of the three rounds on either side of the line. You will begin when I say so. Drift will break up illegal holds and halt things when a cheap shot is made. This will be clean and final. Understand?" Hardie asked.
They both nodded along with Drift as the two clenched their fists in anxiety and anger. Hardie glanced at Springer. "Be fast, infant." He looked at Drift, then nodded. Drift looked at the pair, then nodded himself. "Go," he said quietly.
They did.
-0-Earlier
Ravel peered in with a smile. "I'm here." He walked in to be hugged off his peds by Ratchet.
"Thank you, Ada. Everyone is in bed. The big boys just came in. We're only going to be a moment," Ratchet said.
"What are you going to do, Sonny?" Ravel asked with an appraising expression. "You aren't going to fight are you? I've seen you go out at night before and come in covered in bumps and bruises."
"I'm not going to fight," Ratchet said as he kissed his ada and headed for the door.
Ironhide grinned at Ravel. "Thanks, Ravie. We're not going to be fighting," he said as he walked to the door. "Someone else is. We're just going to watch." He walked out and the door closed.
Ravel smirked at the door, then shook his helm. "Why, Ironhide … the first rule of fight club is, you don't talk about fight club." Then he grinned, sat down and unsubbed his novel.
-0-Outside in the now
Cargo charged Bezel gripping him around the waist. He was determined to shove him out of the circle and he succeeded. They stumbled out, then Cargo shoved him back. He grinned. "Tough guy," he said, then walked back to the circle to stand again.
Lon gripped Bezel's arm as the youngster seethed with almost tearful fury. "Don't let him reach you. He's heavier."
Bezel nodded, then walked in and got set. The mechs were watching with concern and blood lust as the two kids got together. The mechs on and around the picnic table looked calm and unconcerned. Springer glanced at them, then Drift. Drift got them set, then nodded. "Go," he said quietly.
Cargo charged Bezel but the younger lighter mech pivoted, leaped on Cargo and by virtue of Cargo's speed and his weight rode him out of the circle past Hercy. He jumped off, then bounced in place a moment as a supercharged surge of energy flashed through him. Cargo turned with a ferocious expression of anger, then walked to the circle. He took his place, dug in and raised his fists. Bezel bumped fists with Lon, then walked back. "DON'T LET HIM GRIP YOU, BEZ!" Lon hollered.
Bezel who bounced in place a moment, then set himself, nodded. Drift waited until they stilled, then spoke. "Go," he said quietly, then jumped back. It was a good thing. They both came out swinging.
-0-Prime
He stood on the balcony of his penthouse apartment watching the sky. He liked to spend a moment before recharge out here in the bracing cold, clearing his processor. As he did, he looked down to see a circle of mechs, some sitting on the table nearby with two fighting each other like panthers. He dialed in his optics and realized he knew and commanded almost all of them. He turned around, left the balcony, then walked to the door to leave.
Prowl who was in the berth room putting Solus to bed walked out, glanced around, then walked to the balcony door. It was slightly ajar. Walking out, he looked around, then down. Dialing in as well, he recognized everyone. Cursing his luck to be alone, he walked back in, rerouted the security system through his processor thereby allowing him to see and hear every room in the vast structure all at once, then hurried to the door to leave. Fortunately, everyone was either in recharge or almost there.
The door closed behind him.
-0-Down there
They traded blows up close, blowing off pent up anger stored up since arriving here. The blows were good. Bezel had better technique and more speed but Cargo had weight and fury. He landed enough to keep things interesting but it was clear that given enough time and luck, Bezel was going to win. Dust kicked up hanging in the thin cold atmosphere, making the impression of a soft cloud around them. They danced, came together with hard uncompromising blows, then came apart as they circled each other.
Ratchet and Springer had a running conversation off line about what a good fight this was as the others cheered them on. The circle was into it, each mech cheering their fighter. Oddly enough, a couple were cheering on Cargo but only for technique and his ability to still be upright considering the blows that Bezel was beginning to sneak in.
It was a professional thing.
They circled each other warily by the time Prime showed up to stand beside Ratchet and Springer. Both grinned at him. "Hi, Optimus. Welcome to the show."
"What is happening, Ratchet?" he asked as he watched the kids fighting.
"Something that probably needed to happen a while back. We have a court thing here. Some kind of strange caste court thing," Ratchet said.
"Bezel is going to win from sheer technique alone," Springer said. "Mech works out. The other has power and size but he's not as fast and he doesn't know how to throw a series. He's obviously not in the Home Guard."
"Leave it to Hardie," Ratchet said with a grin. "He has the last word." Ratchet looked up to Optimus. "Good thing you're here. The next step is an honor fight with you."
Prime nodded, then they turned back to watch. That was when the two grappled together, then staggered out of the circle. Drift who was watching along with Springer walked to his bond to discuss the situation. They did, then Drift turned. "You both stepped out at the same time."
"The frag I did," Cargo said with fury. "I knocked him out. I win. Two out of three."
Everyone turned toward Hard Drive and the silent Court watching from the picnic table. It grew silent.
-0-TBC 10-10-17 edited 12-24-17
(To my hero and my role model, my mother who would be 86 today. All for you, my darling)
ESL:
ambiguity: (am-bih-gU-ity) unclear, uncertain EX: "There was enough ambiguity in the contract that nobody know what really belonged to everyone else."