The Diego Diaries: Stuff To Do (dd8 566)
=0=On the way
The ship flew swiftly toward the light in the distance. A smaller than usual migration was heading their way following the path toward Mars. They were the second part of the previous group currently in prison and their numbers were in sharp contrast to what they were told. Fila and her mechs had mentioned there were 150,000 in the complement but flybys by Seeker data techs had placed it at just under 5,000. It might even be less given there were a lot of what appeared to be mechs that might be drones aboard. Their ships were big, they were high caste and if they could defer that work to others, even drones, it would be within the bounds of their thinking.
Standing on the deck of Radical Wind, Springer and Drift shot the shit as the humans said with Radical Wind aka Lefty, Fort Max and Xantium, all of them in pretender gear.
"How do you like being here?" Drift as Radical Wind as he sat in the command chair flying them all toward the troublemakers.
"I like it a lot. Soft Space is a great place, peaceful and filled to the brim with our frames. But there's nothing like fulfilling my function. I love being here. I love serving Prime. Hanging out with some of my brothers is a lot of fun, especially at street level," he said in his soft spoken deep voice.
"Its a lot of fun going on a bar hop with your frame," Springer said. "Someone big enough to carry us home is a blessing."
"We'll have to test that together one of these orns," Radical Wind said. Or Lefty as he was called. He was one of the few titans that had a preferred hand, the left. Most of them utilized both which he often did, but few of them favored one over the other.
"Looking forward to it," Hercy said with a grin.
"Command."
Lefty glanced at the drone at communications. "Report."
He did in his metallic voice. "An incoming message from the group was just received."
"Put it forward screen," he said.
Lon and Bezel watched the drones around them and felt the strangeness that, oddly enough, more bots than not felt when they were about. They were minimalist in features but relentless in skill, obedience and toughness. Most drones on a titan frame were feared in combat. They didn't have fear, they had access to their ship's skills and ability, they could organize and re-organize their tactics at the drop of a hat through their group mind and they didn't stop until extreme punishment took them out of the picture.
The screen forward changed to a mech who was staring at them with cold optics.
Lefty stared back. "I am the metrotitan Radical Wind of the Hunter Pack Relentless. I am in service to the Prime of Cybertron. Identify yourself."
The mech considered that, then spoke. :I am Tarrier who leads this group. We are part of a larger one that started ahead of us driven out of our colonies by the Decepticons. There are several thousand of us in this group who wish to speak to Fila. She is the leader of our fellows and we wish to know how they are and to discuss going forward:
Springer glanced at Lefty, then Tarrier. "My name is Springer and I'm in charge of the security of the entire empire of Prime's domain. We were sent to bring you in. We know you had a rough time. Fila told us about it so we brought Radical Wind to accommodate you in comfort until we get to Mars. All you have to do is transfer here. We can fly your ships and bring your stuff to safety. Right now, we want our medics and data techs to help you so when we get to Mars you can go straight to your housing without too much trouble and waiting around."
Everyone listening to Springer lie admired his chutzpah. Springer wasn't known to be a good liar but more along the lines of a hopeful one.
:We need to speak to Fila. Until we do we're going nowhere: Tarrier said. :We need to regroup:
"Are you speaking of the aftermath of the Convocation of the Will?" Hercy asked. "Is that what you want to talk about with Fila?"
Tarrier stared at Hercy with a cold appraising stare, one everyone there knew from hard experience.
"If you're looking for my caste marks, slagger, I don't have them. I'm exempt," Hercy said mildly.
Tarrier glanced at the others, then Springer. :We want to speak to Fila:
"I'm under orders to tell you that you have a medical problem as a group," Springer said. "When your friends arrived it was discovered that they had courier-traps and Functionalist recall chips in their helms. Some had all three. Its beyond statistical that you do as well. We want our medics to assist you in their removal. Its extremely serious that this be done immediately. Its a miracle that any of you are alive given how old they are and the precarious life you've been leading."
Tarrier stared at him, then Radical Wind. :I will speak with Fila. That's my demand: he said, then the screen went blank.
"He cut transmission, command," the drone said to Lefty.
Lefty glanced at Max and Xantium. "I will call Prime." He sat back. "Radical Wind to Prime."
A second elapsed before Prime spoke. :Prime here:
"Lord Optimus, he insists on speaking to Fila. I am convinced he's unable to figure out what to do after the Convocation."
:On my way. Prime out:
It was only a minute or two before Prowl, Ironhide, Raptor, Ratchet, Hard Drive and Prime walked out of the elevator and onto the deck.
Radical Wind stood, bowing his helm to Prime. "I am awaiting your orders, Lord Optimus."
Prime paused before him. "What is the status of his group?"
"They have begun to halt in place. I am detecting the positioning of guns among those closest to us." Lefty glanced at the screen. "It is likely to devolve into shooting."
Prime turned to the screen, then moved to sit in the command chair. "Communications, open a channel to the lead ship of this group," Prime said to the drone who was monitoring his position.
"As you command," the drone said.
The screen changed as the cold face of Tarrier appeared. "Prime."
"And you are?" Prime asked.
:I am Tarrier and I have command of this group. I am demanding to speak to Fila. We have to talk about a number of issues: he said.
"Fila is on Mars. Are you aware of the chips in your processors?" Prime asked as he glanced at the mechs who nodded. "If they are not removed you will die. They are old tech and degrading among some of you. We have brought this titan to make this as comfortable as possible. I am ordering you as Prime to comply."
:I will talk to Fila: Tarrier replied.
Hardie stepped into view. "I am General Hard Drive of Praxus, Chieftain of the Praxian Military Elite caste. I am ordering you to comply with the Prime."
Tarrier stared at him hiding his surprise after a moment. :I'm withholding compliance until I speak to Fila:
"I'm ordering you to comply. If you do not do so you understand the consequences," Hardie said in a calm yet very cold voice.
The mech stared at him, then the screen went blank again.
"What are they, Appa?" Springer asked.
"They include shunning and an honor fight with me," Hardie said. "On occasion we'd come across one like this and they'd defy us. There were powerful consequences for defiance. One was removal from the body through shunning and the other fighting one of us. Given that most couldn't do either it made compliance a done deal."
"But he cut the transmission, Appa. What do you do now?" Drift asked.
"I give him a breem, send the message again, then go there to thrash him if he resists. I also order everyone on board to shun him. They cannot help him when I come," Hardie replied.
"You're not going over there without me," Ratchet said. "I have to patch the holes. Essential equipment." He smiled like the sun.
Hardie chuckled then turned to Prime. "If you can tap into the ships systems for them to hear me, I'll lay down the ultimatum."
Prime considered that. "We hope to have a peaceful resolution."
"They heard the Convocation. They're trying to re-organize. Unless they speak to Fila and that isn't likely this is our only peaceful approach unless anyone has anything better. I may be able to force their hand and get a peaceful stand down. Otherwise, nothing is lost anyway if they refuse after that," Hardie said.
Prime nodded. "Communications, link into the comm systems of all the ships in the forward group. Override their ability to break the message we wish to send to them."
The drone turned to the console, then glanced at the group. "Command accomplished."
Prime glanced at Hardie. "Continue, General."
Hardie nodded his helm in respect, then turned to the main view port that showed a group of ships all of which had halted in space. "Attention. My name is General Hard Drive of Praxus, Chieftain of the Praxian Military Elites. I'm here on a mission from the Prime of Cybertron to bring you to our colony world safely. We've discovered from your colleagues that you bear, many of you, Functionalist detonators and courier-traps in your helms. These are very dangerous and if they explode you will die instantly.
"I'm ordering you to stand down your weapons and be ready to move to the metrotitan before you. Medical teams are waiting to assist you in the removal of the devices. Your ships will be flown to Mars and when you're settled into your new homes all of your belongings will be returned to you. Your leader has refused to cooperate in this rescue and by doing so has put all of your lives in jeopardy.
"Therefore I am asserting my right of caste leadership and demanding that you comply. It's my right as the highest placed member of our caste to do so. If you refuse at this point you have two options. You can be shunned, all of you who do not comply. No one will speak to nor interact with you until you ask for the shunning to be lifted or you can have an honor fight with me. Its your choice. I'm commanding you to vacate your ships to the titan and get the medical treatment that you require. You have two breems to comply. I have spoken."
Now they had to wait.
=0=On a street in Retriades
He walked down a side street heading for the home of one of his newly minted friends, the one who got him into the gang to which he currently belonged. They were the 'unknown gang', the No Name Gang who expressed their presence with a red streak on the walls of places they'd been. They were a high caste group who traded in stolen electronics, medicines and guns on Cybertron before, during and after the war as well as throughout the Diaspora.
He knew one of the kids and they'd vouched for him. He liked to fight and he even killed a mech. They were in a brawl in an alley and a gun was fired, his gun. It didn't hit anyone in the brawl but it killed a pedestrian passing by. He didn't really mind that. It bothered him that his femme had dumped him when he told her in a moment of drunken braggadocio. He was on his own and it was less fun bar hopping alone.
A shout nearby caught his attention so he turned toward the alleyway that divided two giant towers from each other. Three mechs stepped out and called to him, members of the gang that was brawling that night the pedestrian died. Stepping back, he subbed his gun, pointed it at the group and commenced firing.
Two mechs fell and the other ran.
It was silent a moment, then Gravity came closer to look. Two mechs were dead. He stepped back, subbed his gun, glanced around, then ran, too.
=0=TBC 11-11-2022 11-25-2022
braggadocio: swaggering bragging, arrogance with a big mouth telling the world of your brilliance
