The Diego Diaries: Jammin' (dd8 498)
=0=At the prison
They flung themselves at the bars, howling and cursing as they saw the writing on the wall. The Autobots were going to drop them in their tracks. As they did, mechs and femmes nearby, Decepticons and former high castes watched in disquiet at the sight.
Nearby, the sharpshooters of the back up insertion team began to take on targets with their null rifles. Glancing at Gee-Gee they got the nod. Shots rang out and hit those at the bars driving the rest back. One of them stepped forward with murder on his face.
"YOU'RE NOT DOING THAT TO US!" he bellowed.
Ratchet scanned him noting several problems in his processor, body and affect. He was one dangerous hombre. "Settle down and we can talk about this." he said as he programmed his hand held. That he was wasn't lost on any of them. They then surged against the bars before Ratchet pushed the buttons. Down they went in a tide including the three demented femmes.
It was silent a moment, then the teams headed for the pens. There were three more to go with a few in each but they were watching silently. It would be anybody's guess how they'd go.
On the other hand, the high castes wouldn't make another sound.
=0=Out there
They grabbed each mech as they floated out, cuffed them after a cursory scan, then dragged them to the shuttles. By the time they were sent through bridges to Camber, Mirage would be tossing their ship. It would in the end be part of Prime's decoy flotilla, ships that were definitively Decepticon who could pass if they were ever needed by the Autobots.
=0=Camber
The buzz was good when the leader of the ship and his brother, Backup walked onto the flight deck of the ship followed by Jazz. Mirage was still on their vessel going through heavily encrypted data that was in a database marked Decepticon but hadn't been accessed in some time. Even though that was so, there were enough tells about this group to put them on Jazz's shit list, hence their visit to Prime.
They walked through the astonishing blur of individuals doing a job unlike any they'd ever seen. Nickelplate and his brother were on Cybertron when the tide turned, then had to hunt ships off world. It was a foregone conclusion that they'd win but the idea was to drive the screwdriver deeper and twist. Ignoring civilian ships fleeing for at the time, they hunted Autobots.
Now they were on the command vessel of the relentless nightmare of their faction's dreams heading to speak to him by a mech they knew by reputation if not personally. Jazz was one tough individual and highly prized by Prime to do incredibly difficult and necessary work. Everyone who didn't know him knew of him, he was that dangerous and relentless.
They paused by the command desk where Prowl of Praxus sat. He glanced up with his cold blue optics formulating threat of the pair as he did. All of them heard about him, about the calculator with the smarts to deflect and defeat nearly anything thrown against him. All of the groups like theirs had a list of 'capture-not kill' mechs and Prowl was near the top.
Sitting nearby on a command throne Optimus Prime was going through data and a muted conversation with someone in the migration. They knew he was big, a Primal frame always was but in person it was that much more impressive. Around the room were famous Autobots and unknown soldiers, all of them competent and busy.
They paused before Prowl.
"This is Nic and his brother, Cap. They say they stole the ship they had and have their family and friends aboard. There's about 15 of them and they want asylum here," Jazz said.
Prowl nodded, then looked at the two. "Where are you from?"
"We're from Independent State. We lived in a small village that monitored the seismic activity of the northern hemisphere and the aquifers of that region," Nic said.
Prowl considered that. "What did you do in the Diaspora?"
"Worked where we could, mined energon where we could find it and kept moving. No one wants us around we found," Nic replied as 'Cap' nodded.
"How did you get a ship like that from the 'Cons. That's one of their preferred vessel types," Prowl asked.
"We were on a free world where they came. There were a lot of ships there and when they were drunk on their afts we stole it. They weren't in any position to fight us and we got their codes. It was a matter of fleeing far and fast enough and not going near places that had 'Cons. Its been a tough life," Nic said as his brother nodded again.
"Sounds like it," Prowl said. "Please wait with your escort by the elevator doors." Prowl watched as they walked off, then glanced at Jazz. "They read 'Con to me. Maybe special ops or worse."
"That's what I see, too," Jazz said. "I think we keep them in custody until we find out more. We can ask the other 'Cons who they are, maybe to earn privileges. It might let us know if they're who we believe they are."
Prowl nodded. "They're yours, Jazz."
Jazz grinned. "Thanks," he said as he walked off to the elevators and a ride to Mars with the fifteen in 'protective custody'.
Prowl watched them go, then glanced at Prime. He'd finished his conversation and was watching Jazz leave with the two as well.
:What is that about?" he asked.
:We may have ringers: Prowl replied. :Fifteen of them coming by Stiletto:
:I suppose they say they stole it from Decepticons?: Prime asked.
Prowl nodded. :Some part of me wants them to be legitimate but I don't think so. They have trouble written large all over them:
Prime sat back. :Keep me informed, Prowl:
:Done deal: Prowl said as he turned back to the job. He would consign the stiletto to the Special Ops Depot on Ceres.
Sitting nearby in the box, the humans who'd taken a vote and decided to stay for another day watched the drama.
"What do you suppose that's about?" Rick Harris asked.
"I think someone might be deciding to slip in the back door. Sometimes they bring questionable mechs to Prowl hoping he remembers arresting them," Epps said with a chuckle. "Its surprising the number he has."
"Their ship is something else," Andre Boudin said. "I would love to see some of these ships and ride in them."
"You probably can. That ship is called a Stiletto class vessel, a killer ship by the way. Its now the Property of Optimus Prime," Niall Graham said.
It would be.
Now.
=0=Elsewhere
The remaining Decepticons stared at Ratchet and the team with genuine hatred. They were not in any position to do anything about their situation and it showed in their blazing affect. They watched as Ratchet walked toward them with the handheld.
"I'll remember you," one of them said. "I don't forget and I don't forgive."
"Too bad," Ratchet said. "You might learn to be happier if you did."
He hit the button and they fell. They were the last of the group so far though they had space for 300 if pressed. They wouldn't need it until the next migration coming behind this one.
Ratchet walked into the pens to help supervise the removal and disposition of the mechs and odd femme. It took only minutes, then everyone gathered around him. "I think that'll do. I'll let Prime know how this went. Anyone else that lands here we'll come and take care of. I think this sector should remain up and be fortified. We get the odd ball all the time along with these big loads, Gee-Gee. It might do us well to have permanent temporary holding spaces for mental cases and ultra violent mechs and femmes until we figure out what to do."
"I'll get with Jetta to do that. Right now we can manage this area for the migration. Our remaining slaggers are going to be moved. You want to watch?" Gee-Gee said with a grin.
"I was born to watch," Ratchet said as Mercy chuckled.
"I will, too," he said as they walked toward the pens with high caste prisoners inside.
It would be a tense silent group watching Ratchet and his handheld when they paused in front of the three large pens. Inside were the remaining 122 who'd been belligerent, even fighting the teams that came to their ships. The lack of militancy was missing but the hostility and rage wasn't.
"We're moving you to the civilian prison where you'll be held pending hearings into your conduct," Gee-Gee said. "You were in breach of a number of rules of space regarding rescue and laws about conduct in emergencies. Some of you will be charged with assault and hindering an emergency rescue. All of the charges are going to be sorted out later. Right now, I'm stuck with you."
"Is that so?" a big mech asked in spite of the situation thus far.
Gee-Gee walked closer. "You could be a civilian living in the colony. You could be out there in the glitter ball living the good life if you'd had a lick of sense but you don't. Your privilege means nothing here. Everyone has privilege. No one has more than anyone else.
"Those 'Cons showed you the error of your ways with the others. Eight dead. Yet here you are with your mental illness." Gee-Gee stepped close to the bars. "You have no authority or privilege here, mech. You're my prisoner and you will do what I tell you. This is a highly dangerous place, this one and the one you're going to. Get smart or get dead. That's the choice before you."
It was like a western standoff as they stared at each other, then Gee-Gee glanced at the guards. "Get them out of here so we can leave. Line up and cuffs."
Roadie walked to the gate and dropped the bars. "File out. Line up. Shut up. Get punched. Those are your choices."
They stared at him, then Gee-Gee before beginning to file out of the pen to stand on a line painted on the road that was placed there for such things in front of all the pens. It would take a while but cuffs would appear and they'd walk sullenly down the road through the howling mobs of Decepticons waiting to be processed into this prison, the Autobot City Maximum Security Prison of Mars.
=0=Sitting on a trail riding to the Autobot City Military and Civilian Prison of Mars off Fortress Road
Ratchet rode along with the mechs who were taking half the former high castes that were held in the temporary pens at the big prison in this shipment. They'd be put into segregated holding until they were either charged or let go. If they were charged and not allowed to be bailed or put into custodial release, they'd be held here until they were either found guilty or not.
It was a sullen group that rode in the five cars toward the prison 50 Cybertronian miles away in the colony. It would be an underground journey on the high security rail system that fed the jail, prisons, hospitals and armories.
"What do you think, Gee-Gee? Any hope here?" Ratchet asked as he stared around at the clientele.
"Hard to say," Gee-Gee said honestly. "Its easier to rehabilitate a Decepticon than a former high caste. Much easier."
"There's less to work with among those losers," a mech said as a younger femme beside him nodded.
"Is that so," Winnie said as she walked over to sit beside the young femme who tried to slide away from her but couldn't. "I think you have a nice idea of yourself, femme. What have you done to earn it besides win the CNA lottery?"
She stared ahead stonily. "I don't believe you'd get it if I told you."
Winnie slid closer. "Try me," she said.
Ratchet sighed. "She's too young to have done anything worthwhile. I do believe her greatest achievement is to be a debutante and daddy's little girl."
"She's my daughter. She's done enough," the big mech said coldly. "I don't want this conversation to continue, Tildie."
She glanced up at him, nodded faintly, then stared ahead stonily.
That was when Winnie began to explain her many tattoos, markings and other effects of excellence that decorated her beautiful and lethal body. It would take some time to do it.
=0=TBC 8-12-2022
My damned cat Marley, a cat from the neighborhood who decided two years ago to be mine hadn't come home all day long. She lives on my porch in a heated house when she isn't inside the house where I prefer her to be and she likes it best there, too.
However …
I have two cats that think she's a ho and don't want her here but they're all coming around. She decided to stay away all day and scare the crap out of me. She'll be a full timer in the house this fall when it gets colder and I'm going to be happy as a clam as they say. Until then, This shit.
LOL! Animals. They'll kill ya. :D:D:D
ESL:
seismic (size-mik) having to do with the internal movements of the Earth such as earthquakes and volcanoes. Also, something that is HUGE like an event or happening is considered a seismic change or event. The advent of computers and cell phones fall into that category.
disposition: (diss-poh-sishun) what happens to someone, where the prisoners would go and what would happen to them is the disposition of someone.
