=0=The Diego Diaries: Parlay (dd8-469)

Galio studied the map overhead marveling at the detail. Obviously, there were many technical advances since The Fall among the Autobots. He stepped closer studying the configuration. Nothing was suitable that didn't have a very dangerous Decepticon element therein. "What about this?" he asked pointing to Caminus.

"That is Caminus. We recovered and moved it here," Prowl said. "That is ruled by the Caminoans and you can't go there. They wish cultural autonomy and Prime grants it."

"What about us?" Melitus asked. "If they have it we can as well."

"You mistake what you are against them. The Mistress of Fire is a recognized leader of the Cult of Solus Prime. Her people live a life and culture that is distinct and recognizable from the orns of Guardian Prime. For you to compare your tired mode of slavery with that shows a deficiency in your ability to feel shame," Prowl said with astonishing coldness.

Galio turned to Prowl. "I see your ability to freeze everything within miles of you is still intact."

"Oh, that this were so," Prowl said as he stepped closer. It looked like a fight.

"I doubt that you really want to start that again do you, Galio? You already got your aft handed to you. Prowl didn't even use his signature moves yet," Ratchet said quietly.

Galio turned to him. "I see you made it as well."

"I did," Ratchet said. Everyone in the room knew the Autobot Ambassador and many of them had come out missing metaphorical digits in debates with him. Ratchet stepped closer. "We have a situation here. Allow me to scientifically outline what this is." Ratchet glanced at Prime who nodded.

Prowl stepped closer to Ratchet, adding his special essence to the conversation as he silently glared at Galio and the others.

"It would appear that you haven't learned a thing. That could be because you set up a miniature Cybertron somewhere with others and lived the same way you always have. Literally billions of our people didn't have that luxury. We, however, through the genius of our leadership," he said glancing at a silent Prime, "have rectified that. Everyone gets the same freedoms and possibilities as anyone else.

"Everyone attends school of a certain age until they are emancipated adults. There are private schools but they're dedicated to religion or a culture. None of them are based on separatist ideas like The System. College is free and open to anyone as are trade schools and adult education facilities. Every child attends school until sub adult age.

"Careers are open to anyone and no one by virtue of their tatts has the front of the line. No one pays for goods and services and health care is free to everyone. We work hard to give all of that to our people ensuring not only their well being but major buy-in to the way of life WE derived here. And the best part is simple. We didn't have to bash or coerce anyone to have it.

"We have elections for the Delegate Assembly, the School Board, all of the regulatory, advisory and operational boards that regulate things and operate the community access ventures including the use of this planet itself. All of this allows anyone to step up and live their dreams.

"We aren't stuck with dreary legacy children and relatives of dreary mechs and femmes who 'always did that thing and always will' running things into the ground. We have fresh people doing things that are made better because the ideas aren't inbred or geared to make one smaller group better off than the bigger one.

"You have no place to go. We keep the local fraggers in line with overwhelming force and we've even gone to their redoubts to slag them to the Pit. They know what fragging with us will mean for them. If there was a place to dump you it might be entertained with caveats. However, there is no place that won't get you slagged."

"What caveats?" Melitus asked.

"You can't have interplanetary travel. You're exiled to your base until you catch up to the rest of us here in the present from the dim past where you persist in living. You can't trade with anyone but us and there will be numerous restrictions on what you can receive. Nothing that can make weapons or communications for off world chats will be allowed. Nothing that can attract trouble nor help you fly into space will be allowed including your ships. All you get is yourselves, your personal belongings after inspection and the start of housing and food. We will supply all the food you wish and some materials for your housing but the rest is up to you. We won't be helping you build."

"That's not possible," Galio said coldly. "We have the right to be an autonomous group. We were when we left Cybertron. We didn't need you and you weren't there."

"No," Blaster said coldly. "We were trying to save billions of our people, fight off the Decepticons and their allies and get the Allspark away. We didn't have time to come and hold your prongs. We were dying elsewhere, you big dumb fragger."

"You wouldn't say that on Cybertron," another younger mech said. He was big and spoiling for a fight. The elderly femmes were silently listening as he blustered.

"We aren't there, fragger, because your kind destroyed it." Blaster rose to his full powerful height. "I have two kids who are going to get it all. I'll cut you into confetti if you ever think you can make us go back."

All around the deck mechs and femmes stood up to glare at the group with their own menace. The titans looked close to lapsing into their basic function as they watched the newcomers and Prime.

The little femme who held Neo's servo glanced around, then tentatively stepped forward. "I don't understand why you feel this way. The One and Primus want us to be one together."

"Maybe its because low castes like you struggle to understand complex things," the youngster said.

Unwisely.

Every mech in the room and the big femmes began to step forward with murder in the optics. A bellow from the direction of the elevator stopped everyone in their tracks. Sun and Jack were standing there with Lissie. "Halt."

Everyone paused, then turned toward Sun.

That big mech began to stalk across the deck, passing the slaggers to halt before the tiny mortified femme. He patted her shoulder. "Thank you, granddaughter. I'll take it from here."

She looked up at him, then stepped back to huddle next to Neo. She was a very kind little femme born in the diaspora into a working class low to mid caste settlement without much experience with hardcore high castes. She would learn.

Sun turned to Galio and the others. He walked toward them closing the gap, then began to walk them back a few steps. He stopped himself, then leaned in slightly to the youngster. "Apologize."

He stared at Sun noting his Elite markings. He glanced at the tiny femme who looked uncomfortable in the extreme. "Sorry."

Sun chest bumped him and he staggered back before falling on his aft. Sun then backed up the group once more before being satisfied. He stepped back taking them in with a silent appraising stare. "I am Ironhide the Elder, General of the Army Emeritus, Exempt Warrior, personal bodyguard of Guardian Prime, senior member of the Praxian Military Elite caste and the owner of your sorry afts if I just have the WHIM to do it. You will do me homage and that of the others." He glared at them with menace.

"What does that mean?" a soldier asked in the human terrarium.

"It means that a senior high caste member is about to obliterate another with less status if they don't obey," Epps said.

"Oh," the soldier said as he stared at the confrontation. "Damn."

=0=Ships out there

Word had gotten around and most of the high caste ships were watching the video from the bridge having gotten it diverted to their own ship by their fellows who were getting it from Springer. Otherwise, it wouldn't have happened for them. It was tense and outraged among many, silent with foreboding in others as the drama continued to play out.

=0=Springer et al

"Fraggers."

Springer glanced at a mech who was outraged. "Yeah. Insulting a tiny little femme is fragged. You have to have a tiny prong to do that."

Glares were exchanged but the drama on the screen prevented drama on the ship.

For now.

=0=Prime et al

They glared at the big mech towering over them internally raging together as they weighed the problems of noncompliance. It was not in their power to defy him without harming The System and their position.

Galio glanced at the others, schooled his face to a calm expression, then as one they bowed low. They held it, then stood. Galio spoke for all of them. "Greetings, Ironhide of Praxus."

Sun considered that. "Greetings, fraggers. I hear that you want to have your way of life. If you do that includes us. We have final say no matter what Prime says. We can also back him to the wall. I'm personally fragged that you keep making trouble for all of us. After spending forever chasing our people ahead of the 'Cons because of the System and you lot, I'm sick of your crap."

No one spoke. All of them stared at him with seeming compliance.

Sun knew they wouldn't talk back. That could lead to honor fights. It was clear to everyone that no one would survive one with Sun. "You were driven off by the 'Cons. That's not our fault. But you're here and we have a responsibility to those here who suffered because of you to protect them against this happening among us again. There's no place for you to go that isn't a death sentence. So here we are short of sending you back to the 'Cons. That means slavery and death. So what are you going to do? Fall into line and join the present or are you going to be stupid and try to be old school?"

Galio considered the tide of coldness and rage surrounding them. "That would be up to you. I would like specifics for both sides of the coin, compliance with the new paradigm or adherence to our own."

Sun considered that as Jack stalked up to them, moving slowly in a circle around the group as he considered them coldly. It was deeply frightening to see, this behemoth with glowing blue optics and balled fists.

Sun turned to Prime. A conversation was had, then he turned back to the group again. "I have the leave of Prime to tell you, slaggers. You were driven here, thus, you belong to this paradigm. You can't bring yours because its forbidden by Primal decree and the Pantheon."

"Pantheon?" a small femme asked with surprise and wariness on her pretty face.

Sun nodded as Jack began to circle again. Lissie paused beside Sun to check out the group. "Its a decree by Primus Himself. He's tired of receiving dead children at the Matrix."

It was deeply silent as the standoff continued.

"You're to give Matrix oaths to Prime and adhere to them. The last slagger who defied that burned to death from the inside out. His burnt armor and exoskeleton was all that was left. You'll put your kids in school, you can take time to learn the colony but then you have to be productive. You have to hunt and apply for jobs.

"Taking care of those who are ill, children or yourself if debilitated is considered work. Because you contribute even in ways such as those, you may partake of the colony and its delights to your sparks content. No shanix changes servos. This is a barter economy designed to lift all boats together. Considering no one but you had a boat in the past, don't expect anyone to burn their own while you build your yachts. No one will support you.

"You will obey the laws, understand that modified martial law is in effect and obey warning sirens when they sound. We were attacked by an armada shortly ago and it was brutal. That's what we face every orn and because we do we don't have time for your precious slag. Any questions so far?" he asked.

=0=TBC 7-2-2022 7-24-2022

Alleykat23, I'm working my digits to the bone to fix the numbering thing. I always do that but its been a few years since it happened. Thank you!

FANCY! FANCY! Thank you for the notes. Hugs to you, my darling.

Misty Legionaire, all your notes to the files. :D I agree with you on the billionaires and I agree that Prime is leading by example. I think the next few are going to be fun for me and maybe bumpy for everyone else. HUGS!

Kattenbelletje, HI! The numbering is going to kill me. After I post this I'm going to try and figure it out. NEO! Team Neo here. I love her and the little femmes. I love heroic societies and their rules. I would pay to see that honor fight. Take care, darling.

JACKALKAT! I'm a total loser when it comes to numbering. LOL! HUGS to you, my sweetie pie.

Krysten Rook, I mess up numbering so easily. LOL! I'm a big dork that way. Thank you for the heads up. I will get on it. Take care, darling.

All of you take care. Its in the mid 60's here at nearly 10 pm and the light looks bright outside. Love you all madly. Me, off to fix mixed up slag. :D:D:D

NOTEY-NOTE-NOTES!

emeritus: (EEE-mare-ih-tuss) When someone is 'emeritus' it means that they're given high honors for their skill and accomplishments in their career usually after its over. Professors can be emeritus when they conclude their careers as an honor to their skill and knowledge