The Diego Diaries: Duel (dd8 326)
=0=Out in the Epsilon Eridani area
He paced in front of the tactical station noting that the armada that Prime had confronted was gathered into an area of planetoids and spheroids not that far away. It was far enough, Razorclaw knew, that Prime would watch but not intervene. If they came together or they were ever closer, he was clear that Prime would appear and clean all of their clocks.
"Razorclaw," his second said, a mech he elevated who was scientific, smart, analytical and not a threat to his power, a Nova Cronum named Perio.
He turned to Perio. "Yes?"
"We have them and they're powerful. Initial flybys indicate a formidable force."
"What would we need to take them out or damage them enough that they come to us?" Razorclaw said as he bent over the screen to peruse the images of a very big, very powerful battle group.
"Given it would trigger Prime, more than we have," Perio said grimly. "Do you wish to talk to them? Our scouting party is nearby awaiting orders."
"Keep them on standby," Razorclaw said. "Open a line. Know that Prime will probably be listening as well unless the dampening tech we made Xeon's group is ready for trial?"
Emirate Xeon and his fellows had been picked up by Prime when he raided the base but his work and that of those with him was separate from the main computers and thus missed by their raid.
"We've waited for such a thing," Perio said as he rose to walk to another console. He sat, worked the board, then glanced at Razorclaw. "We can try it out now."
"Do so. Open a channel," Razorclaw said as he sat down on his throne.
It took a moment, then a mech appeared on the screen, one who was handsome, smart, alert and utterly without fear. Phase sixes burned off their fear in the transformation process. It was part of why they were so very dangerous. What made Paladin unique and therefore more dangerous was that he had managed to keep his spark, wits and smarts whereas most of the others, almost all of them hadn't.
"Who are you?" Razorclaw diffidently, his own confidence making any concerns he had inconsequential. He was a combiner with an unbeatable power who had wrestled Unicron Himself until he became bored and left.
:Razorclaw: Paladin said with a slight smirk. :I was wondering when you'd call. I am Paladin:
A memory floated up of a smart mech with a calm and reasoning persona. It was so out of character for the average phase sixer that he almost didn't believe the mech was one. "I hear you bumped helms with Prime and paid the price."
Paladin shrugged. :There was that:
Razorclaw grinned in spite of himself. "What did you lose?"
:Not enough to derail my mission. I want to carve an empire of my own. You know … the old story: Paladin said as he relaxed. This mech was poison but there was something about him and this conversation that was amusing and relaxing. :What's your story?:
Razorclaw considered things, the attack Prime had made on his base, then decided to edit his reply. "We have a concord. We live our own lives. He has his, we have ours. We don't meddle in his business and he leaves us be. For now anyway."
Paladin grinned. :I suspected as much. We're going to dig in around here and perhaps we can have a meet up at some point. I'm told that Ominous made it to this area:
Razorclaw nodded. "He's in a more unfortunate position than my own. He's that much closer to Prime and holds the gateway through that sector for anyone who comes. Prime holds a tight rein on him."
:Then perhaps he needs to fall back and make accord with us. The three of us pose a powerful force together: Paladin said.
Razorclaw nodded. "Dig in, then tell me your plans. Maybe there's something in this for all of us."
Paladin nodded, then the transmission cut.
Razorclaw considered things as he mused on the nice turn of events. It'd be nice to see Paladin take out Ominous, work around Prime, then give Ominous and his own armada to him. He wouldn't mind sweeping up the fallout in the end. It was only going to be a gain for him. Afternoon passed much more pleasantly in his domain.
=0=Many light years away from Prime and everyone else
They found a suitable array of small planets circling a very distant and dim star. It didn't matter to them. Cybertronians could exist in nearly any sort of environment. Their tech would turn darkness into daylight. The best part of the area they found was a very large, very high quality energon field on a moon of one of the planets. In some distant past, a small moon had been flung out of the Sol System finding its way along until caught in the gravity well of this planet. With it came something priceless, energon by the acre. It would supply what they needed, all that they needed for a very long time.
Paladin stood on the rocky surface of the planet as Lancer sampled the piece he found on the surface.
He glanced at Paladin, then stood. "This is Class A- energon, Paladin."
Paladin mused on that unexpected twist. This was beyond imagining. "Welcome home then, Lancer," he said with a slight grin. "We can make this work."
It would take a while for his big group to come to the site, the part that had been in the battle with Prime and the rest of it that hadn't. Then they would begin the surprisingly swift dig in to establish themselves as a force in the area and a counterpart to the others who were watching diligently on their sensors.
Prime would be watching as well. This he was imminently clear about.
=0=Home that night
They put the decorations up on the big hotel suite that held Ironhide and his kid menagerie as well as Ratchet's elders. The pets were down for the experience, running around the big area together as they played. A tall Christmas tree rented from a party store and lots of lights enhanced the space beautifully. Smokeless candles lit just about every surface as Ratchet worked to create a peaceful beautiful space.
When that was over, he turned to the group who were staring at the light show once the room lights were shut off. It was an amazing sight to behold.
Fireball glanced at Ratchet. "This is beautiful, Ada. What do you want to do now?"
Every optic in the room stared at Ratchet as he stood with servos on hips smiling his best and most radiant smile. As he did a knock on the door broke the trance of all involved. "There's that." He walked to the door and opened it. Kids with boxes hustled in and put things on the table in the small kitchenette that came with this, a long-term residential hotel suite for large families. When they delivered, they left cheerfully.
"WHAT LOU, ADA!?" Orion asked as he pointed at the boxes.
"What lou is simple, shortie. Junk food night and movies on that big screen over there," Ratchet said as he pointed to a huge monitor that adorned one wall in front of the beautiful arrangement of the lounge's chairs and couches. "You will sit on a drop cloth and eat, you runts. The rest of us are on our goodest manners and behavior. Let me get this goat rodeo going," he said as he walked to the boxes and looked inside.
Chan, Corr, Docker and Genesis walked over to assist.
There would be babies on a drop cloth with highly interested pets, adults being pampered on the couches and chairs by their overly tall grandsons, a big black Buddha of a mech grinning and snapping slag out as fast as he could while dodging kicks and punches and the rest gathering to watch cartoons, movies and other fun and games as they ate their dinner. Pizza, sandwiches, chips, cookies and cake was had by all. Fizzy drinks for the infants and beer for the elders rounded out a great ripping meal amongst those present.
They would do so in the soft light of the decorations and candles, happily together at last. It would be the first time since they were homeless that they'd feel the love.
=0=Elsewhere a bit of time later
A hotel in Praxus held the bulk of Ironhide's elders. They were face timing with Ironhide who was getting kids to bed. Ratchet sat on a chair in the living room with his elders sipping a beer as Ironhide did the scut work.
"Your house looks like a party," Alor said as he lounged in his own suite, one he shared with all of the rest of Ironhide's elders, Prima, a cow or two and a cat. Hardie liked cats.
"It was. How about coming over tomorrow night and we have one. All of us. Call Steiner and the others. We can shoot the slag. Talk about the presents we can't give each other because they're at the house, compare tattoos, that sort of thing," Ratchet said as the others grinned at the huge monitor that held Alie and everyone else's image.
"Christmas Surprise is slag this year. They got the two Christmas trees in Terra replaced. It looks really good but for M Street Block where they're digging out Full Circle. That's such a bad thing. Edict and Joon work there and everyone around goes there. Its a community center as well," Delphi said. "Has anyone talked to Edict? I haven't seen him since this happened and Partition is too busy for a chat."
"I called him yesterday," Ratchet said. "He's pretty shook up. Both of them are, he and Joon. They loved that place but he told me that Heatout had plans to rebuild it the way they wanted it and to add more. Edict's cafe is going to be bigger and more of a club. That way the locals who hang out there can be more comfortable. There will be more room for them. Some like to sit all day, play cards, read. Its a sad thing when a good place like that gets slammed but the newer rebuild sounds really great."
"I like that place myself," Turbine said. "I do a lot of studying and writing there."
"I talked to Prowl. He's reserving the entire Tower in the Sky Restaurant for Christmas Surprise eve for a party for everyone. He's getting it organized with Bluestreak. We just have to get everyone informed to come. No presents. Nothing but fun," Ratchet said. "Kids, pets, all of it. Bring everyone he said."
"I'll get that organized, Ratchet," Turbine said. "Jetta's genitors and brother can come. Those two little kids of his are beautiful."
"They all are, Turbine," Ratchet replied.
It would go on for a long time.
=0=On the patrol beat
They rode around the colony with the usual suspects rattling doors and talking to the odd unnerved elder or adult who was tying one on after the attack and needed help getting home. It was oddly dulled, the tone of the night but as they rode along in the half darkness of the colony lights everywhere suddenly burst on all at once. The horses shied with surprise as they came on, then only those that needed to be lit this time of night outside of homes and the night lights of stores dimmed down again.
"Well, it would appear that the grid is back on," Springer said as they sat on the side of the highway staring around at the familiar welcomed sight of street lights and other illumination so coveted.
"That's going to be good. When we go home we can organize Tell by something other than our own lights," Drift said with a grin. "By the way, Amma Turbine just texted me that Christmas Surprise eve is a party. We're to go to The Tower In The Sky in Iacon at 1800 and bring the kids, dogs, cats, you name it." He glanced at the mechs with him. "1800, Iacon."
"Bugs," Springer said. "Love Bob."
"He's the only Insecticon that I give a frag about," Hercy said. He glanced at Springer. "By the way, does the lock up for the bugs have a back up generator or was it affected by the energon shut down? I can't remember."
Springer stared at him a moment then spurred his horse forward. All of them galloped madly across the plain toward the old energon storage facility near Autobot City and the Prison that was now the holding tank of several hundred Insecticons in deep stasis.
It was still hoped.
=0=TBC 12-17-2021
