The Diego Diaries: Reckoning On (dd8 324)

=0=United Nations General Assembly

"So let's consider the situation fully, no holds barred," Ratchet said grimly. It was silent as he considered the next part of his speech. "Its been a mantra for some of you that if we weren't here you'd be safe or you could negotiate with them to leave you alone as they went about their business here. Its a worn out argument that moments like this puts to the sword over and over again. Yet its always the first thing so many say the moment this happens.

"Given that our life blood is energon, that alone will tell you that the 'old normal' is never coming back. Energon is everything that we need to keep ourselves alive and create our comforts and needs. We can refine it for anything we need. The only problem with energon is its rarity. Its as rare as anything in the universe, yet here in this system its overflowing nearly everywhere we look except for Earth and your moon.

"You were discovered long ago by the outer greater world who already knew you were here and were protecting you from exploitation from aliens. Because you captured both the Allspark and Megatron, unwittingly and unaware, you gave up your anonymity and a lot of choices for yourself. You committed yourself to the path you're on because of it.

"Given the criminal personality, unflagging sense of entitlement and vengeance that motivates him even against his own faction through the decimations that have fractured it and driven many to leave, Megatron will never give up. He will never let you go from his desires for vengeance and if we weren't here you'd already be dead. All of you. He had an annihilation team in place with Arachnid. Remember?

"Consider that he won't allow us to be left alone, his own kind. What makes you so special that he'll break his pattern and be merciful with your planet and people. He decimated his own soldiers. He lined them up and killed personally and without mercy, every tenth one. It didn't matter that they might have been the most loyal and steadfast soldier in his army or that they were important to his military desires. He did it because he was mean, paranoid, unmerciful and steadfast in fulfilling his desires. You must understand. If he can do this to his own people, what makes you special? Why do you think armadas are breaking out to leave?"

It was silent in the room as the delegates digested the remarks. It was obvious to Ratchet and he could sense the same with most present. But the logic of it was elusive to those who believed the right words in the right combination would change things their way. For those with little experience with alien mores and thinking, it was hard to expand to other points of view when you always had full rein on your own no matter how illogical it might be.

"When we came here we didn't expect to stay. But we didn't expect Megatron to persist and retaliate so it made the possibility of leaving palatable. We were sure he was dead. But he was revived by the Allspark when a team came here to find him and here we are. We have to accept the new reality and live in it or you will know what we know, societal and species annihilation.

"When Prime called for soldiers to fight Megatron it attracted refugees. We as soldiers and as a Prime were duty bound to protect and assist them. It was our sacred duty to help and protect our people. We knew you'd never allow them to live on Earth so we took them to the nearest best place. We got more and more and as we did we became more and more capable of protecting them and you as well.

"We built them homes and out of that grew cities. Over and over we've been attacked and every time we were we prevailed. These are the renegade portions of Megatron's empire. They're the worst of the worst, freebooters who want to carve out their own kingdoms and rule ruthlessly anyone unfortunate to be nearby. Ominous and Razorclaw are just two of the five groups that are hunkered down within easy flight of this system. Three of them are small and still moving around from time to time but the two that matter, Ominous and Razorclaw would destroy you without mercy if they were allowed.

"There's no scenario where you can win going forward alone. There are a number of alien civilizations in this general area that are either pre-spacegoing or interplanetary but have no interest in interfering with your development. You're not and never have been alone either in the universe or here in this sector. The aliens have been watchful and careful not to interfere with you and they're good allies with us in that they inform of things going on abroad or seek trading status.

"For you to try and go it alone would be to change the balance of power not just for you but for all of them. They're aware of the Decepticon fragmentation and let us know what they see. The path toward this solar system is a very busy one for many and it'd beggar belief that the Decepticon breakaway groups wouldn't know it and follow to find the energon that they've all seemed to have heard exists this way.

"Tell us what you want. Do you want to go it alone and hope that someone is silver tongued enough to find co-existence with groups that killed their own kind for less or no reason. You aren't dealing with normal psychologies and you aren't the same species. They have a breathtaking disregard for alien life on that side of the line. We stayed to protect you because we knew this and that some of you believed you can go it alone. You can't.

"Consider this as well. We now house 259,000,000 plus civilians on Mars. It was the only viable place to put them where we could protect them. We didn't come here with the idea of staying. We wanted to go home and get our world back. We have. Its ours and its rising again but we also have Mars to protect. There would be no way we could move 259,000,000 individuals. No way.

"The only way to make this palatable and tenable is to learn to respect each other and work together. We make a home among us for 100,000 of your people and work hard to provide them with opportunities and safety. Their homes on world are state-of-the-art, something you would never provide in a century. We do this to have you with us and because we understand and share the desire to grow and know the universe.

"We've been good neighbors and have helped this world with many of its problems. We'll continue to do that. What's hard to accept is the calcified reactionary opinions of those who feel that life will be somehow safer and more beneficial if we go. I guarantee that your exploration of space, the safe and fully realized exploration will end with our departure.

"You've lived on a beautiful world since the beginning and you have exploited it near to your own extinction. We're here to ensure that doesn't happen. We don't expect gratitude or even thanks. We're neighbors helping neighbors. We care about you and your well being. We'll continue to do so. What we aren't interested in hearing are unfounded theories that you can go it alone. We've seen planet after planet try that only to end up a dead cinder floating in space.

"We repelled an enemy. We've always repelled the enemy. We'll continue. We hope you'll work with us as allies. I have to say … sometimes it feels like you're the enemy, too, sometimes. From the humans and Cybertronians of Mars and the Empire, of Cybertron and from the Prime of all of it, I give you our friendship and deeply felt solidarity. We care about you. We wish you everything. We hope that you feel the same way, too, about us.

"We send you best wishes during this holiday season and into the new year that you achieve all that you desire. I hope it comforts you that we protect you and our own colony with all that we possess. Thank you."

Ratchet stepped back scanning the room as he did. He grinned. "I will send you all a detailed report of your health. Its a thing that as a physician I do. Thank you."

The applause was long and loud.

=0=Mars

They sat together watching silently as Ratchet delivered the news and a statement about the feelings of the senior Autobots that the allies they loved and defended sometimes felt like the enemy. It was a sort of bold stroke, hopefully provoking discussion about what everyone felt and thought about the alliance.

"That was curt at the end, though I agree with it. I hope that they get what our point is, those that make up slag," Alor said as they watched the bots bid farewell and walk outside to leave.

"I don't care, Prowl said with customary edge. "I'm tired of the ingratitude of the few."

"The many are wonderful," Prime said as he glanced at Prowl. "I am tired of the few but they are just that. Few."

"Well, we made our point. What's the agenda coming up now," Alie asked.

"I will give a short message on the MCA, then broadcast will resume. The Hourly News has been making stories all over the colony and talking to individuals. I think that coverage will be a strong current for the next few orns. By the end of the decaorn we should know where we stand if anything has shifted. We will allow them to see the damage both before rebuild and otherwise. Jazz and Blaster are leading that part of the story."

"Well, I don't want to hear anything negative from anyone at the moment. I think Christmas Surprise is going to be either truncated or nonexistent this year," Prowl said.

"We can have a dinner somewhere and it will be enough that we are all together," Optimus said as he squeezed Prowl's servo. "That will be a project that comes after this is settled."

=0=Homeward bound

They drove into the VIP area and transformed after letting out the human handlers that came with them. Chatting and laughing together, the bots bid farewell, then walked to the yacht that was waiting. When they were aboard the hatch closed, the big ship gracefully revved up and took off straight up into the sky to disappear into space. The human's cameras would follow it all the way up.

Sitting in the immaculate white lounge of the huge vessel, Springer, Lucien, Ratchet and Hard Drive grinned at each other. Flashing his brightest and most beautiful smile, Ratchet relaxed into the cushions. "Tell me what you think. Don't spare me. Ironhide never does."

Springer gagged, then chuckled. "I thought it was needed and straight forward. When they see what happened they'll see what we do every orn to protect everyone."

"I agree. Those who won't be happy won't be. Those who will are already on our side," Hardie said. He glanced at Lucien. "What do you think, Lucien?"

Lucien thought a moment. "I think that the relationship will always be more fragile than I like but taking a turn toward a more hard line could be a good thing. Its unexpected and probably overdue for some."

"I agree," Ratchet said as they blazed through a bridge coming out at the highest orbit of Mars. "I do declare. We're already home."

"Come with us, Lucien, to the debrief. Prime will want to know your opinions," Hardie said as he rose to go.

"Get used to it, Lucien. This is your life now," Ratchet said as he sashayed to the hatch. "Last one down the ramp is a rotten egg."

"What does a rotten egg have to do with being last?" Springer mused as he watched Ratchet pose all the way to the tarmac below for the cameras recording his arrival home. He grinned. "Home sweet home," he said as he walked down the ramp after his daft ada. He did so like a gent.

For once.

=0=TBC 12-14-2021

ESL

Truncated: (trun-kated) cut short.