The Diego Diaries: Going Onward (dd6 451)
I have changed the designation of Lucien to Burris and will have Lucien have a conversation with Ratchet about what he feels and saw. It think that would be a better way to get to Lucien's thinking. I don't know what it is about Burris, Lucien and their kids. LOL! That's what you get when you don't have your notebooks handy. :D:D:D Hugs to all you eagle opticed individuals out there. :D
-0-Morning in The Fortress
They gathered in the conference room to discuss the business of the Empire and whatever still needed said about The Event. Drinks and food were carried in along with datapads and other accouterments of the colony's business as everyone arrived to sit and chat a moment. Prowl and Prime were in the Center checking on slag so they all had a moment to gab. Ratchet noted that Devcon was present, nothing odd there. What was different was the addition of Smokescreen as well. It was puzzling. They sat side-by-side waiting for the show to go on but before he could snoop, Prowl and Prime came in and the meeting began.
"We will hold to the end anything that you need to discuss from the event that transpired unless there is something you need to bring forward right away," Prime said. No one did so he glanced at Prowl. "Shall we begin, then?"
Prowl did. The agenda was long, departments had their say and everyone was ready for the end by the time it hoved into sight. The newest information put forward was the sobering assessment of Dai Atlas and the Knights. That some of it overlapped the earlier teamwork finds of Flint when he was still a Decepticon was only a partial relief. At least they had an idea that millions existed earlier, though the planning was still a problem. It had been on the list for rescue efforts back then but when it was clear that Cybertron was on its last legs it had to be held. Though it was put back because of that, it was still front and center on Prime's processor.
"We're going to start rescuing in that direction, the areas where Flint has operated. Dai Atlas is making the maps and when he's ready, we can start," Magnus said.
"The housing issues are the same?" Prime asked worriedly. "What about the industrial base? I have not had an update since our last discussion, Jetta. What have you resolved among those matters?"
"We're working on the new housing site and its going to be huge. The plans call for five more, all of them located within the first and second defensive circles of the colony which includes expansions of Aerie Hill. We've enlarged the industries at the Parks for those things we require now. Its all balanced to manage the new with the old and the continuous. We can pivot on a dime to retool if need be. This is a good test of our emergency and long term planning. So far, so good," Jetta said.
Prime nodded. "Thank you. Thank all of you. I am greatly relieved. Right now, Cybertron is managing to emerge rather more swiftly than I believed but it cannot receive refugees. That would be a disaster of monumental proportions."
"We have it going smoothly, Optimus," Jetta said as the various members related to building nodded in agreement.
"Very well," Prime said as he leaned back. "Then we move forward." He glanced at Prowl. "Did you get that?"
Prowl smirked. "I think I penciled it in."
"What's the next step, Barron, on the slagger list?" Ratchet asked.
"We have petitions to hear about the usual blowhards. Semi is going to hear them. Our special category prisoners are having fits. The son of Decimus is coming up and so are a few others in that group. They had a hand in what happened and there are elder genitors that are under home arrest and/or wear tracking devices. All of that remains to be resolved. I will contact their legal teams and see if anything has changed with what has happened," Barron said.
"Thank you," Prime replied. He sat silently, then looked at everyone. "I think we have a lot to do. I would like to hold the good of the order over for next time."
"Good call," Springer said as he stood. "We have a lot of drunks in the tank from the parties last night and we have court appearances since we scooped them up ourselves. Mostly." He and Drift followed by Kup and Hercy walked out into the center and the rec room beyond.
Everyone took their cue, then stood. Chat and laughter filled the room as Prime watched them go. Dev and Smokescreen weren't among them. He leaned closer to them. "Do you need to see me, Smokescreen? Devcon?"
They both nodded. "We need some of you to stay if you can," Smokescreen said. "We need Barron, both Hardie and Delphi and any of the Praxians who want to stay. Ratchet … you can stay, too."
The group looked at each other, then sat down as the rest filed out. When they were gone, Smokescreen closed the door, then sat again. He looked seriously at Prime. "Optimus, you're aware that we … that is, I invoked on my grandson. He's in a relationship that doesn't please any of us but we've decided as a family that Smokey needs to learn his life lessons without us holding his servo. That being said, it became clear that the relationship with Hot Rod hit a snag shortly ago and was becoming toxic. I filed the invocation and he was held to it as per our customs and the law."
He sat back and considered his thoughts. "Both Dev and I are from Praxus." He looked at the others sitting at the table. "You know what that means," he said as they nodded. "You, Hardie and Delphi are Masters of The Code. I need your help to solve this. I'm not here to live Smokey's life, nor shield him from a bad relationship. Who knows where it might end up? It could be good or it could be a disaster but Moda, Tress, Dev, and I are resolved. We decided that he could live his life until it began to affect what he was responsible to do and how he behaved with us.
"His relationship with Hot Rod went south and after letting him decide how to act about it, I invoked. I don't want him to fail at school, mope forever or get himself shot on a mission because of this thing. I filed formally and put him on notice. However, a friend from the neighborhood, also Praxian, did us a solid and informed me that Smokey is playing around behind our backs."
It was silent in the room as everyone listened. It fascinated Ratchet. Situations got settled in an alley with fists and brass knuckles in Iacon and both he and Prime had stories of their own about such things. This formalized legalistic sub culture of Praxus was intriguing and bizarre to him at the same time. He glanced at Ironhide and his family. All of them looked serious about this whole thing.
"Smokey is really into Hot Rod," Dev said. "I haven't been a party to any of the invocations. One was Moda's and this one is Smokescreen's. He's had just these two. One was over his grades in school which Moda was upset about and this one. I can't be a party to this because I'm too invested. I'm seeing a counselor for this and a couple of other things. So this is on Smokescreen but he has my support. We got a full ride education for Moda and for Smokey when they were babies by hook or crook." He grinned. "I won't bore you with the details, so you know we live The Code. No matter what we do or say, what anyone thinks about us or sees in us, they will see Praxus when they look at us. We're Praxian. We're from Praxus. We live The Code, Hardie. This needs to be heard in a hearing with a Master. Or two."
"What's a Master of The Code?" Ratchet asked. Everyone glanced at him. He smiled brilliantly. "Iacon, here."
Dev grinned. "A Master of The Code is someone who manages The Code and hears this sort of small stuff, things short of a caste court. You know, like elders in some other groups. It's the rules that all of us follow as Praxians. It's sort of inside and outside of the law. Like the Stanixians. You bond into a Stanix clan, you bond essentially with everyone. The Clan Code applies to everyone in the group and the elders are the final say. It's a lifestyle and a life. My grandson can live his life but not at the expense of those of us who love him and not at the expense of his culture. Given he's a police man and a soldier, he could get shot screwing around."
Hardie leaned forward on his elbows. "We can hear this, Delphi and I. I suppose you want the legal component as well. This is, after all, settled law."
Smokescreen nodded. "I want it because its the path forward on this. Smokey broke the law. He has to stand for it." He grinned. "It's an unspoken rule between Dev and me … don't slagging get caught. For us, given our lives and the war and all … we've been changed and changed ourselves. But we still hold to The Code. We lost everyone, all of us. We lost our world, our family and friends, the whole thing. But I'll be fragged if we lose our identity."
"We don't expect Smokey to like any of this," Dev said. "He was young when he left Cybertron. He didn't get as much of a chance to live like we did growing up in Praxus. We were poor, left out and fragged. But we had our culture and it kept us clued into our identity. They could take everything else from us but they couldn't take our identity, our culture and the things that made us who were are. Smokey has to respect that and this thing … this relationship has got to be straightened out or ended. I'm not going to deal with a moping kid forever." He glanced at Ratchet with a smirk. "Look what you get to look forward to."
"I INVOKE!" Ratchet said with a chuckle. "What do we do?"
Smokescreen glanced at Prime. "I want Hot Rod arrested. I want my grandson brought here and read the riot act by Hardie and Delphi. I want him under house arrest at his genitor's home. Then I want a hearing with a Master to resolve this. He has to be responsible and I want him to discharge his duty as a soldier and police officer as well as uphold his end at school. It's the way of our family and it's The Code."
Prime glanced at Hard Drive. "General?"
"That's the process. Mind you … it almost never gets to this point. In my career as a hearing officer, I only heard two of these. You would have to do a lot of research to find invocations, let alone those who would transgress them. It's rather like the Stanix clans … no one wants a beating." He grinned. "These take care of a lot of slag. I can hear this. What about you, Delph?"
Delphi nodded. "We can do it in here. Right now, the rest has to happen or we have no standing."
Prowl sat back. "I never met anyone who was invoked. My genitors used to mutter about doing that with me but they never did." He glanced at Prime. "I called Springer and Drift to come."
"Good," Prime said. He looked at the two grandparents. "What if he decides that he wants a less structured life?"
"He has one now. But he also has responsibilities and obligations," Smokescreen said. "He's made his decisions about his career. But he also has to have a college education because its another skill set and his father had one at great and harrowing effort by the two of us. We don't want an uneducated infant. He's a smart kid and we want to have him have options. Maybe not going through the worst part of the caste slag was a mistake here. He should've had to live with doors slammed in his face and maybe he would appreciate why we want him to have more skills. But he didn't so he doesn't know why this is important. Either way, he's going to have to step up."
Dev nodded just as Springer and Drift walked back inside after rapping on the door. "What's up, Chief?" he asked.
"Autobot Smokescreen the Younger has transgressed on an invocation made regarding him. He did so with Hot Rod. I need you to find Hot Rod and arrest him. Bring him here." Prime glanced at Smokescreen. "Your grandson … what is the process for him?"
"Arrest him," Smokescreen said with a frown. "They both broke the law and they both need to come here in the appropriate manner."
Springer stared at Smokescreen, then Devcon. "Seriously. You want us to cuff and arrest Roddy and Smokey."
"Sure," Prowl said with a tight grin. "He was invoked. They stepped over the line. It's in the law books. Fetch them and bring them here."
Springer glanced at everyone, then nodded. "Okay," he said, then both walked out.
It was silent in the room, then Smokescreen leaned on his elbows. "Its going to be getting better in a moment. I just sent a call to Moda and Tress to come here."
"Frag," Ratchet said with a grin.
Hard Drive grinned slightly and nodded. "I concur."
-0-Standing in the doorway of Club Hoyle
"This is fragged. Do we call him to come or do we go in and cuff his sorry aft?" Springer asked.
"I don't know. He was your boyfriend, not mine," Drift said with a slight smirk.
Springer glanced at Drift. "Former. Former friend … that was eons of vorns of life cycles of stars ago."
"If you say so," Drift said.
Springer gripped Drift's arm and pulled him back into the hallway. "You aren't bugged by that are you?"
Drift grinned. "Nope."
"Oh." Springer stared at him. "You don't have any weird cultural or family practices do you?"
"No. I'm from Kaon. We stole slag."
Springer nodded. "I'm from Polyhex and we didn't. We were victimized." He grinned at Drift. "Did you ever rip us off yourself?"
Drift grinned back. "Show me a map and I'll see."
"Later," Springer said with a smoky tone in his voice. "Right now, we have to reek havoc on Hot Rod."
"I don't have a problem with that," Drift said as he started to walk to the doorway again.
Springer caught his arm. "You don't have a … a thing about that do you?" he asked with a slightly worried tone.
Drift turned to him. "No," he said with a grin. "Do you really think I do?" / … much? …/
"Not really, no," Springer said. / … frag … I hope not …/
"Come on," Drift said. "We have a slagger to bag."
"Yeah," Springer said as he squeezed Drift's servo. "This could be fun," he said as he walked past Drift. He paused a moment, then lowered his voice. "There is only you. There is no one else."
Drift stared at him with deeply felt emotions, then nodded. "Same here."
Springer relaxed a bit, then walked to the door and inside. Drift watched him go, then grinned. "You, me and Optimus Prime," he whispered, then joined Springer inside.
-0-TBC 8-25-18
I am going to be putting a piece in shortly which explains about the sub cultures in the greater Cybertronian society. Some of the characters have great backstories, some had little to none and a lot of the cities and city-states need more detail. I have created a lot, the Praxians, those from Stanix, the clan system of the Seekers and other things. I am going to detail them more and put them up for one of the segments. Given the way they lived, given that they form groups even if they aren't wanted and castes are groups, it is logical that some of them would be hardcore and strong in their points of view. I will try and put that up tonight or first thing tomorrow to outline my thinking about this. First and foremost, they are aliens to their cultures and family structures will be alien.
I love this fandom.