The Diego Diaries: Sun (dd6 560)
=0=On a ship with familiar strangers
"WHAT!?" Ironhide asked with surprise.
"Who is this slagger, Hardie? He's one good looking slagger, I will say," Ironhide the Elder said with a grin.
Hardie finally laughed. "You have to start at the top and go down to make sense of him," he said as Delphi hugged Raptor's shoulders. "This good looking mech is my son, Raptor. He was born after you were sent out. You never saw him."
The two big mechs stared at him, then grinned. "Good looking slagger. I see a few more," Blackjack the Elder said. "Raptor is a good name. I do recall correctly where it comes from?" he asked as he glanced at Hardie.
Hardie looked pensive a moment, then nodded. "You do." He glanced at the other two. "That mech is my grandson, Raptor's infant, Blackjack." He looked at the last one then grinned. "That miracle of Primus is my infant, my great grandson, Ironhide."
Both of the big mechs laughed. "Thanks for commemorating us," Blackjack the Elder said with a grin. "Great names if I say so myself."
"I won't disagree. As for the rest of you," Hardie said, "we can make this happen by using your nicknames, brothers. This," he said pointing to Blackjack the Elder, "is just Jack. This handsome slagger is Sun."
The room was quiet a moment as everyone took that in. Raptor glanced at 'Sun' then Hardie. "Son as in son of someone?"
"No," Delphi said with a chuckle. "Sun as in star. There's a fabulous story that goes with that and you have to tell them, Sun, one fine orn when we're all drunk."
Sun grinned. "Sounds good to me," he said as he stepped forward to envelope Raptor in his huge arms. A moment was had to hug infants, then the two turned to Prime, dropped to one knee and bowed their helms. "Command us, Prime. We are yours," Sun said.
"Rise, warriors," Prime said with great pleasure. "I am honored to receive the presence and service of two such legends."
Both stood, then grinned at him. "We are, aren't we," Jack said as the room erupted into laughter.
Prime gripped their servos, laughed with them a moment, then turned to Hardie. "General, would you assist your brothers in bringing this to order? I am going to have to go back if there is nothing more I am needed for." He turned to the two mechs who were grinning as Sun gripped Ironhide The Infant tightly around his shoulders. That mech was feeling the massive strength of his great great uncle. "We are having a special dinner tonight at Ironhide's house. I am assuming that you will attend tonight and the events of tomorrow?"
"They will, Optimus," Hardie said with a big grin. He looked at the two. "You wouldn't want to miss these infants here being Santa Primes would you? Ratchet?" he asked as he gazed past Sun to the big medic who was standing nearby with a smile on his face and delight in his spark. "Do you have extra elf hats, Ratchet?"
"Oh, frag yes," Ratchet said to loud laughter. "Bring them to the house to meet the mob, then we can organize them to be Santa elves with you and Delph."
"Sounds like a plan," Hardie said as he grinned at the pair.
They grinned back. "We're going to regret this, right?" Jack asked.
"In all likelihood, yes," Hardie said to great laughter. He turned to Prime, Starscream and Prowl. Nodding his helm with great happiness and respect, he grinned at them. "We can go from here, gentlemen."
Starscream grinned. "I'm sure you can," he said as he turned to go to great laughter. "By the by, we will take the Seekers and the two clan chieftains. Thank you."
They chatted, shook hands again, then Prowl, Starscream and Prime walked out. It was silent a moment as everyone turned to stare at Hardie and the two giant mechs.
Hardie grinned. "We can get the ball rolling. Infant here," he said nodding to Raptor, "can organize the net and get them gridded out. We take them in sectors five thousand at a time."
"Frag," Sun said. "Five thousand? What sort of camp is his colony?"
"Its a desolation," Raptor interjected. "It's the best we can do but we're being overrun. Megatron wants to get us together and blow us all up. We do the best we can, Appa. It's just ..." He trailed off his voice, the slagger, as others jumped in.
Because army.
"I'm afraid he's right, General," Hercy said with a sad expression. "We do our best. Everything is in short supply and tents … well, you can understand. It takes a lot of energon to fill up these tubs," he said as he patted Kappa on the wall.
"I heard that," Kappa's laughing voice said over the intercom.
Huge laughter greeted that as all of them there carried on the prank. The two big mechs leaned into the task, helping them put together the framework as more ships arrived to assist throughout the migration. They chatted with the civilians, then made way to go to Mars to 'help with the catastrophe such a crowd brings when landed like this on world.
Two grim mechs followed Delphi, Blackjack and Ironhide the Younger, Raptor, Hercy and Kup along with other stand down mechs through the ship bridge to reach the Ops Center Bridge Room on world. They walked out, glanced back, then looked at Hardie. "You have a lot of bridges. Impressive. We could have used one," Sun said.
"We have a lot of smart mechs and femmes here. They held us keep above water,," Hardie said as he led the way. Upward they went, then into the huge rec room. Walking toward the Ops Center, they followed Hardie, entering the huge room to stop and look around in gasping wonder.
"You have a set up, Hardie. Impressive," Sun said. "I suppose its necessary given the size of your operation."
"It is. Come on," Hardie said with an expression of concern on his face. He was cracking up loudly inside with Hercy and Delphi as he walked for the courtyard and the doorway outside trailed by the infants and everyone else along for the ride. When they exited, they walked to the street, then halted.
The two big mechs stared at the airfield, then the cityscape in one direction and urban area before and extending into the distance in the other direction. They stepped forward, then turned to Hardie. Sun grinned. "Fragger."
Jack laughed, then pounced on Hardie, rubbing his knuckles on Hardie's helm. He let him go, then laughed loudly. "WHAT THE FRAG IS THIS!?"
"Home," Hardie said with a grin as he rubbed his helm. "Fraggers."
Delphi laughed loudly, then took Jack's arm. "Come with us. You can stay with us until we get things sorted out. You aren't in bonds are ya?"
"Not yet," Sun said with a smirk and wink.
"Oh, frag. Material. WITH THESE HEALING MIRACLE SERVOS, I, RATCHET-"
He was tackled by Ironhide. After a momentary slapfest, Ratchet turned to them and pasted on a big sappy smile. "As I was SAYING ..."
"Run, boys," Hercy said with a grin. "It's heavily advised."
"That is Ratchet of Iacon, C.M.O. of the whole shebang, Ironhide's bond and completely certifiable," Delphi said. "We can go barhopping when you're settled in. Ratchet knows all the best dives."
"I do," Ratchet said smiling with enormous pride.
"Frag," Ironhide said with a grin. "What now? Our house or yours?"
"We can go to your house. Dinner is when?" Hardie asked.
"In about half a joor," Ratchet said. "I better haul. Come with. We can have a brew and tell lies. Besides, we have a few embellishments you need to meet."
"Embellishments?" Sun asked as they began to follow Ratchet and Ironhide.
"You'll see," Hardie said with a chuckle.
"What about the migration?" Sun asked because he was nothing if not about the job.
"The Bureau of Refugees as well as Immigration are on it," Delphi said. "We have this. If you're needed, I'm linked in."
"Well then … lead away," Sun said as he gripped Delphi's servo. "I sure missed you, brother."
"We all missed you, Sun," Delphi asked as they reached the junction. "By the way, the Pantheon restored the relics to Prime. The AllSpark, Flame and Well are in the Temple over there," he said nodding to the dome down the way. "They sort of favor him."
"The Well?" Jack asked with surprise. "The AllSpark was missing? All of the relics?"
"You've been out of the loop, General," Hercy said with a grin. "We have to catch you up on the sit-rep. We need beer to do that."
"Beer. It's been too long," Sun said as they walked down the street toward the tower. He glanced to one side. "Club Cybertron?"
"We also have Macadams," Raptor said as he began to warm up to the familiar strangers.
"Frag," Sun said with a grin. "Barhopping, eh? Done deal."
They walked to the building, went up and then down the corridor to the apartment where tables, chairs, benches and other furniture was waiting in the hallway for backsides to sit. Entering, they paused to look around at the vastness of the apartment before them. Good food was cooking, mechs were there doing the honors, then a cloud of little kids began to walk into the room with giant smiles. A disturbing number of them looked like mini versions of themselves.
The mechs stared down at the infants, the infants stared up at them.
"ADA! WHO SHE!? SHES WHO THEM!? DO THEY COMING HERE!? I, ORION LOVEDED THEM!?" a shortie asked.
The two newbies stared at perfect tiny versions of the big mechs, then burst into laughter. "WHAT THE FRAG!? WHO ARE THESE CUTIES?" Jack asked as he knelt.
Orion stared at him, then smiled brilliantly. "I, ORION! I CUTIE! YOU CUTIE!? I HAVE FRUCK! YOU WANT A FRUCK?!" he asked in his usual inside voice.
"Sure," Jack said and as he did the entire group turned almost as one and began to run down the hallway again.
"Oh, oh," Ratchet said as he watched. "You better sit. There's a number of trucks heading your way." Ratchet introduced him to those here which included Alor and Turbine along with his own elders.
It was riotously happy as they hugged and met each other, then the big mechs were shown a place of honor and tossed a beer. They caught them, then stared at the label. "Praxus Black Label. It's been eons of vorns. Thanks, Hardie," Sun said as infants fogged back out with every 'fruck' that the little kids owned.
They made a line, each of them, mech and tiny femme, waiting with a little truck to show the big mechs and explain it in every minute detail. It was dazzling.
=0=Out there
They finished their work at the office, then began to leave Metrotitan and their police tower for dinner at the old folks house. Springer glanced at Drift. "Ada just told me that they found Hardie's brothers in the migration. They're a couple of tiny little bookkeepers from the first age. He said they need tons of quiet so come in without too much noise."
"Sounds good," Drift said as they walked out together.
=0=Nearing the old folks home (tower)
They sped along the sidewalk toting the babies in carry baskets and a laughing Bluestreak on Sideswipe's back. Cutting through traffic, they reached the tower and halted to gather up again. Sideswipe turned to Blue and Sunstreaker. "Appa just called and said he got his brothers in the new migration. They're sick and small. Ada said Hardie's brothers were day laborers in their old colony and they need absolute quiet. So we have to come in quietly."
"Well, that's great news. Ratchet can put them together," Blue said as they spotted and waited for Drift and Springer who were coming.
"Hardie's brothers are here and they're in bad shape," Drift said as the others nodded.
"We can go in quietly," Blue said as he led the way. The others followed.
A sucker is born every orn.
=0=TBC 1-2-19 edited 1-3-19