The Diego Diaries: Crader (dd6 494)
NOTE: I'm not always getting things online or receiving things online in a timely manner so we might be running toward the end of part six. Part five ended at 501 so if this keeps going, its at 494 right now, I'll not only start part seven but I'll put a note about it in the reviews for part six. Check there if you don't get your usual alerts and then you can check them again in the part seven section. So far, so good. This is being posted just in case. :D This site hates me. :D
-0-The Morgue
"How long can he yell like that?" Perceptor asked with a slight frown. "I have Resolve in my hold."
"Why don't you take him to the nurse's station. Someone there will care for him, Percy, if you think he needs it," Ratchet said with a smirk.
Perceptor considered that, then turned to a console. Bending over it to type furiously, Crader suddenly stopped yelling. Perceptor turned to look at Crader with a frown. "My son isn't going to be inconvenienced because this mech has no manners."
Everyone grinned at Percy, then focused on Crader who was still yelling but without any sound. He noted that, then lay back with fury.
Ratchet leaned over him. "If you stop being a fragger, I'll hook you back up. We don't have any time for this." He glared at Ratchet who grinned. "I take that as a yes," Ratchet said as he worked a meter in his servo. "So … we take it you don't like the new accommodations."
"Frag you, Autobot. Where's my body?" he asked in his deeply low and coldly maliciously sounding voice.
Wheeljack reached behind him, then picked up a clear tray. Parts of Crader's old body were in there. "Here you go," he said with a slight grin. "Recognize anything?" He picked up a battered and rather flattened disk. "Here's your old transponder. See?" He held it up for Crader who looked at it, then 'Jack with furious hatred. "We need to know a few things. You would do well to tell us. This life you've led has been accounted for and you've been a very bad mech."
"I don't have to tell you anything," he said.
"It would stand you in good stead, Crader," Prowl said coldly. "You've come here under false pretenses, you were a war criminal of the highest degree and you're a traitor. You helped the Decepticons for money and a planet died. That's federal … a Primal Hearing with Special Circumstances."
Crader stared at Prowl, then Prime. "Is that so?"
Prime nodded. "Understand something. We have had two thus far. The Functionalist Council of 12 and Sentinel Prime with two of his associate senators. Both times they were found guilty of charges and two times the Pantheon came and took them away. I do not expect a lot to be different for you and your party."
Crader stared at Prime, calculating his position as ever, then leaned back to relax. "There's nothing to tell. I reject your charges. You don't have power over me."
"Then I'd like you to call the Pantheon to come take all of them now," Raptor said as he glanced at Prime. "What's the point if they refuse?" He looked at Crader more closely. "How about a Caste Court, slagger. You know you wanna."
He stared at Raptor, a mech he knew well. Then he grinned slightly. "Raptor, you're still as ugly and mean as ever. You think you're tough."
"I am, slagger. I beat you twice in a fair fight, you and Cassio one time together. You should know better than to fight a Praxian Elite hand-to-hand. We have slag in The Code that no one anywhere knows. What about it? Caste Court?" Raptor grinned but there was no humor there.
"The charges are federal. You have no standing," Crader said as he glanced at Blackjack and Hard Drive. "All of your family made it, I see. Too bad."
Ironhide was doing a slow burn but he stood by Ratchet who grasped his servo. Raptor was aware of his provocation and he was sure that Crader would live up to his reputation of never letting anyone have the last word.
"What about it, Prime? Caste Court?" Crader asked with a mirthless smirk. "How about having all the high castes show up and hear the charges. That should be hilarious. All of them profited, too. I want a Caste Court, Prime. Make it happen." He laughed, a harsh grating sound as he smirked at Optimus.
:What do you suggest from this, Hard Drive?: Prime asked off line as he stared at Crader.
:I have no problem with it. The same conditions apply as they do with a hearing. The congregation comes, the trial happens, we draw conclusions and the outcome is left to the Pantheon for final say. This slagger is mental. Something is off with him. He isn't afraid: Hardie said.
:I know. Raptor? Blackjack? Delphi and Turbine?: Prime asked the others who were standing around the room providing intimidation and perhaps muscle if needed.
:I'll attend to whatever you decide. Caste Court or hearing. Command me, Optimus: Turbine said as the others nodded.
Prime considered that, then glanced at Prowl who was listening with the others. He nodded slightly. Prime looked at Crader. "Do you wish one?"
"Sure. Why not. What do I have to lose?" Crader asked with a malicious smile.
"Your life, slagger," Ironhide said. "The court is us with a recorder. There are a few other Praxians if you want the full slate. You better judge carefully."
"You would throw the trial? You dial down to nothing. Tell me you will," Crader asked.
"Those are the rules," Hardie said with a nod. "We will follow The Code."
Crader grinned at him. "I want a court, I want representation, I want the congregation."
"The one from Nova Cronum and Capital City. Those who managed the District in Tarn. That should fulfill the obligations of the congregation," Hardie said. He glanced at Crader. "Be serious or you go to a hearing. What is it for the last time?"
"Caste Court," Crader said with a smirk.
"Very well," Hardie said as he glanced at Prime. Optimus nodded agreement. Hardie looked at Crader, then glanced at Alor. "If you can put out the notice. Nova Cronum, Tarn and Capital City. Only those. I don't know how many but we can see. I suppose the big lecture halls at the University or the big theater at the Performing Arts Center will do."
Alor nodded. "The big theater is perfect and can hold thousands. I'll put the notices in tomorrow."
Hardie nodded. "I will contact Barron. He can arrange counsel. When do you want this to take place, Optimus?"
"Soon. Give him every possible legal protection and opportunity as well. Barron will manage that," Prime said.
"I will tell him," Hardie agreed. He looked at Crader. "I hope you don't make a big mistake with Raptor's joke. This is your spark at stake."
Crader stared at him, then grinned slightly. "Frag you, Hardie. Frag your whole family."
"If you say so," Hardie said with a shake of his helm. "You better cooperate with your counsel. I can't stress hard enough how serious this is, slagger. You act up at your own peril."
It was silent as Crader smirked at him, then they walked out to leave him behind with the techs. Gathering in the hallway, Prime turned to the group. "What is the likelihood he will cooperate? What are the limitations of the court in relation to a primal hearing?"
"I don't think he's going to cooperate much, if at all. I knew him before, all of us did. He's not the cooperating kind. As for the court, there are no limitations. I will, however, model the proceedings after a Primal Hearing. He will have all the representation he can have but its up to him to utilize it. I don't believe whatever the hearing is that he'll be responsible and act wisely. He was never a wise mech and he was always above the law and protected by same," Hardie said.
Prime nodded. "I remember as well. I would like to be kept informed and when its ready to go we can sit down and study this with all counsel. Will there be a prosecutor?"
"There will be. I suppose Coln-2 will do the honors?" Hardie asked.
"I think so. Have Barron work it out, then tell me what is to happen and how I fit, if at all, in the picture," Prime said.
They chatted a bit, then broke up with most heading to their day jobs while Ratchet helped the others work on Crader's data. They dialed down his pie hole when they did. That much racket wasn't conducive to thinking.
-0-At Ops Center, Prowl's office
Miler and Venture who had been told about the new infant finally tracked Prowl down and hugged him one after the other. Sitting down on his office couches, the three grinned at each other. "Prowl, this is so wonderful and unexpected," Miler began with delight. He then leaned closer. "It was unexpected?"
Prowl nodded. "It was."
"Another infant. What kind? Do you have any ideas and details to share yet?" Venture asked.
Prowl considered that. "We haven't gotten serious about it. We're thinking about a mech. Maybe."
Miler grinned. "I think that would be amazing. I also wonder what femme that looked like you would be like?"
Prowl laughed. "You do know that mech wings on a femme isn't common. I don't believe I've ever seen it to tell you the truth."
"There's always a first," Miler said with a big smile. "We have a naming ceremony and parties, the wait … how long, son?"
Prowl considered that, then sat back. "I never asked Loon."
Moments later after asking Loon …
"Two decaorns. This infant could come on Halloween," Prowl said with a grin.
"Perfect," Venture said. "What a treat that little thing will be."
Prowl agreed.
-0-Later that evening around the dinner table
"How was school, son?" Ironhide asked Fireball who was eating next to him at the table with the mob.
He glanced at Ironhide. "It's great, Atar. You know we're going to a Halloween party at the club on that night?"
"I do," Ironhide said. "Sounds like fun. What about you and Lumi? How's that going?"
Ratchet grinned. Subtle wasn't Ironhide's long suit.
"Lumi is the best, Atar. He's the best," Fireball said.
"I heard that there are those who're jealous of you two. A lot of mechs are jealous of me and your old Ada. No one can believe your Ada's luck," Ironhide said with a preen.
Everyone laughed, then Ratchet smirked at Ironhide. "What your old mech is saying, son, is how is it going with other kids about you and Lumi? We're fine and dandy ourselves. We want to know that there's no difficulty about your friendship."
He stared at both of them. "Some talk about us. They sorta say things about it. Like they don't like it, some of them. I don't know. I don't know how that works."
"Well," Ironhide said. "There were lots who said things about your old ada and me when we bonded. No one said a great catch like me should hang out with him."
Ratchet snickered. "Caste stuff, slagger. Great catch … I don't disagree with that. However, your old atar is always saying you bonded up."
"My old atar was probably drunk at the time," Ironhide said with a wink.
"I think he was," Ratchet said with a laugh. He looked at Fireball. "You and Lumi are very cute. Your friendship is so sweet. Ignore the slaggers. They might be just too young to get it or they might be jealous."
"Like most mechs are of Ratchet," Ironhide said with a big grin before he popped an Orb of the Crescent Moon into his mouth.
Everyone laughed including the shorties, though it was debatable whether they got it. Ratchet then glanced at Genesis and Quasar. "Do you two have good friends as well?"
They grinned at him. "Not yet, though we like a lot of mechs," Quasar said as the bun bowl got passed around before losing half its contents on Ironhide's plate.
"Good. Play the field. I do," Ratchet said as he exaggerated a wink back at Ironhide.
"In your dreams, old mech," Ironhide said with a smoldering optic. :Once you had this, there's no turning back: he finished off line as he flexed his superstructure.
The little kids laughed. "ATAR! YOU FUNNY! I, ORION SAYED SO!"
"You are, Atar," Sunspot said as the others laughed.
"I AM IRONHIDE! I AM FUNNY!" Ironhide said with a chuckle.
Dinner would be da bomb.
-0-TBC 10-12-18
ESL: to stand in good stead is to be okay, to stand in good order, to be up to date, in good standing …
EX: "He stood in good stead with all his friends who were happy to see and support him."