The Diego Diaries: Incident: Conversation (dd8 249)
=0=The United Nations
"Its now a waiting game," Ratchet said.
The room was deeply, deeply silent.
He stared at them waiting for them to digest what he was saying. It was clear to him that they were receiving the information with mixed emotions. It was good to know something but it was also still up in the air that these slaggers would come and go without punishment. Living in peace from the unknowns of space had become a habit for the humans it would seem.
"I realize that living here isolated and alone was easier on the nerves. Not having to look up and wonder what's out there was a blessing that you might not have realized when it was happening. But the only given in life is change. Change happens constantly and living in space as much as I have that's the first rule of the road.
"What you don't have to do is panic or be anxious about this. Nothing that they have is beyond our own possession. Their refinements are new but we always rise to meet them. They're part of a huge empire that's falling to pieces. In some ways, this is good news. The center isn't holding. What we think and do about it now is all that matters. We know they're there. We know they're moving around. We also have prepared to meet that.
"Our unity is our strength. Standing alone means you die and suffer alone. No one on this Earth even in unison is capable of meeting their threat potential by yourself. In the past, the two of us, you and us have done what it took to protect this solar system. We won together. We will continue to be safe, to win the engagements together.
"If you have a plan and material to make that happen by yourself, then I'm open to hearing it. Suggestions are always welcome among us. I would counsel that ignoring us and hoping they go away isn't a plan. Its a pipe dream. They know that energon is here. They know its on worlds and its free floating, a nearly unlimited supply of the rare mineral that's the foundation of everything we need and are. Not having to hunt it, not having to dig it up or worry if there's ever going to be enough will always bring them here. They will NEVER stop coming. Ever."
He paused to let it sink in. It was almost arid in the room, the silence was so deep.
"You can decide how you want to meet this threat that will never go away. You could live a million years and they will still need it and come for it. Stand with us and keep things safe since they've been since we came here in 2007 or stand alone and face that kind of fire power without us. Understand. We're not going anywhere. We have about 230,000,000 of our people living on Mars. Where would we go with them?
"We do guarantee that we will never not protect you. We'll do that with all our abilities and technology like we do now. We'll upgrade every time we perceive a weakness, patrol as hard as it takes and go out to meet them head on like we are now every time they come. All you have to do is have faith and believe. We're doing the heavy lifting. We always will.
"We never promised you perfection. We never said we would block them every time they came around. We did say that we would take them on, face them with whatever it takes and protect everyone. It's our dream to be perfect. Its our reality to do as much as we can to attain that ideal. That they haven't breached this system permanently is a testament to that effort.
"We treasure your friendship and hold to our treaty agreements with all we got. We've welcomed about 100,000 humans to live with us on Mars in habitats we provide. We are one with the humans there and we would hope we are here. All you have to remember is that we're here and we will protect you. There are those who will tell you that we're the reason they come. No. The energon is the reason they come and short of getting all of it out of this system, they always will. How you decide to live with that is before you now. Just know for now and always, you're not alone. Thank you from the Prime of Cybertron and Autobot Nation," he concluded.
It was silent a moment, then applause began with many in the chamber standing.
Ratchet nodded, then waved as he turned to walk out. Pausing by the Secretary General to chat a moment, he led the mechs out and into the parking lot where they would transform and drive back to the airport and the ship home. It would be with a lot of commentary on the teevee as they did.
=0=Mars
"I think that went well but what would I know?" Prowl mused as he sat beside Optimus watching the group rolling into the airport in New York.
"Its honest and concise. We cannot promise what we cannot guarantee and to expect complete containment is unreasonable." He glanced at Prowl. "However, unreasonable for some is a given."
"Well," Prowl said with a frown, "they'll just have to suck it up. Consider what would happen if we hadn't come here? Arachnid and the Insecticons and the energon would have obliterated the human species. I don't expect gratitude but I do expect reason to prevail among the greater population."
"We shall see," Optimus said quietly.
=0=On the ride back
They sat in the immaculate lounge watching the ship rising into the sky. Soon it would be space, a bridge would appear and they'd be home in minutes. It was a step up from the usual forty-five minute ride from before.
"How do you think it went?" Delphi asked as he held Tell in his burly arms. The baby was feeling better and his smile to his great etc granny was brilliant.
Everyone felt better that he felt better.
"I think it went well enough. Truth always helps. Also, what can they do? They can wish us gone but we're here with the colony. We're going to defend them when we defend ourselves so its all a moot point," Ratchet said.
"I think so," Springer said as he watched the baby smiling at his amma. It was cute as could be.
"Their fear is understood. We're rather imposing," Drift said as he watched the baby smiling at his amma. That kid was talented as frag, he thought.
"We are. I among you the most," Ironhide said with a slight preen and a grin. He stared at the baby wondering when they'd ride the trains again. He had a lot to tell his old appa about trains, the little genius kid.
"That goes without saying," Ratchet said with his biggest megawatt smile as the yacht touched down at the Military Airfield at Autobot City.
They were home again.
=0=Out there
They sat together in the shuttle eating dinner together. Prepared food was always left in the ships only needing hydrating and/or heating up to be palatable. Rampage having been a soldier living on slag most of his life had taken the time to make the 'MREs', "meals ready to eat' which were a staple of soldiering life in every galaxy everywhere something good as well as tasty. It showed.
:Lissie to Hercy:
"I'm here, Liss," Hercy replied.
:How about coming over after you eat to discuss strategy about this with the other captains?: she asked. Ever the planner, she was formidable in her strategic thinking as most of the Immortals were by now who had stayed with the military.
"I'm on it," Hercy replied. "Be there in a second." He glanced at the others. "I'm going to float over. If something happens, if there's time, wait for me to come back. Otherwise, I'll use the bridge. We're going to conserve energy, infants. The bridge is a problem for the local area. I don't know how far into the nebula we have to be before they're safe to use but I don't want to find out accidentally. Okay?"
Everyone agreed, Hercy finished his meal, then stepped into vacuum to float to Lissie's ship nearby. Other ship captains were heading that way and soon they were all inside.
It would be a quiet wait for Hercy to return from the confab.
=0=Nearby
"What do you think we're going to do, Captain?" a youngster asked Cord as he sat in the navigator's seat musing on things. The Autobots weren't hiding their communications so he knew they were gathering to plan. What that might mean was concerning.
He glanced at his crew, some of them from the disabled ship. "We're going to hold together and be unified. They win when we break into smaller units. Our inability to be unified is our biggest weakness. We wait."
"That mech who talks to you," the kid said. "He's an Immortal?"
Cord nodded. "He's a notable Immortal, though all of them are. I don't know how many are left anymore. We lost everything to the war and this period now? I don't know anymore. I just know that we have to stick together to get where we need to go."
"You're skirting treason, Cord," a big gnarly mech said. He was sitting in a gun turret staring at the big mech who was a favorite of the group commander and leader of this flight.
"Is that so, Bardo?" Cord asked coldly. "Treason is a good word to get you dead."
It became incredibly tense in the shuttle given that if a gunfight broke out there would be no safe place anywhere. The younger kids stared at the two with dread.
"We're here to kill Autobots and do what we want. All this unity slag is for Autobots, not Decepticons," Bardo said with a cold optic and a colder voice. "You know how we do business."
"That's why Prime has the advantage. He practices unity and it shows. You did see the images from the scans?" Cord replied.
"All the more for us when we take it," Bardo said.
"Tell that to the metrotitans living there," Cord said. "As long as I'm commander here you'll do what I tell you. If we don't work together the Autobots will win."
"As long as you command," Bardo said ominously.
It would be deeply tensely silent on the ship for a while.
=0=Ops Center, Mars
"Good job," Optimus said as they sat down at the table.
"What's the word among the talking heads?" Delphi asked as he sat with a baby in his arms. Tell was sleeping sweetly. Everyone noticed.
"The general consensus is still up in the air," Prowl said. "I love how they bring in experts but none of them have ever worked with us nor have experience with us. Experts," Prowl concluded with disdain.
"Well, as long as they come to the inevitable conclusion," Ratchet replied. "We're doing the job to the peak, the slaggers will never stop and you can't go it alone. They rather have few avenues given this place and none of the naysayers can do better."
"We can but hope," Prime said. He glanced at the baby. "How is our baby?"
"He's feeling better," Springer said. "He cries a lot when he gets his treatments and he can't eat or sleep easily for a while. Its hard to watch."
Everyone frowned. Everyone felt it.
"How long does this go on then?" Prime asked as he glanced at Ratchet.
"The next visit is going to be an assessment. Its going so well that they want to see what happens if they skip a treatment and allow the body to do the heavy lifting itself for a few orns. Its not a given but I'm hopeful," Ratchet said.
"What then?" Prowl asked. "I'm asking as the ada of this child."
Everyone grinned at Prowl who smirked back.
"Loaners," he mouthed to great scorn.
"Then we watch his body revive including his dormant hearing abilities. Oh joy," Ratchet said with a dazzler.
=0=Out there
They gathered on Lissie's ship, all of the captains of the six vessels that had been sent to chase the bad guys. Devcon who was one of them leaned against the bulkhead as they made space for everyone.
Lissie grinned at them. "I'd have some tea but Rampage forgot to pack it, the slagger."
"Club Med its not," Warlord said as he sat back. He grinned. "I've been doing some reading just so you know."
Lissie grinned. "It shows," she said to loud and sustained laughter.
=0=TBC 9-10-2021
NOTES! Some I've answered already and some not. I'll answer them again because WHOO-HOO!
SunriderandSunspot chapter 247 . 11h ago
thank you for your wonderful story, Even when you are hurting.
ME: Thank you, darling. It was a strange experience to see a car come at you that fast, then almost immediately be on the ground. But all of life is a lesson. I think I flunked this one. :D But writing for you makes it all better. Hugs, darling. :D:D:D:D
Misty Legionnaire chapter 248 . 15h ago
Ratchet is always impressive in his direct communication of what is happening. I wonder how many leaders on Earth knew about the diversions of asteroids.
ME: Ratchet is a good speaker. I love writing for him because he knows what he wants to say and he wants to comfort and inform people. I think I might have written about that way waaay back when but now they all do. I think it would be a good way to be a good neighbor. I don't know how we've lasted 63 million years without a strike that big otherwise
Looking forward to next chapter.
ME: I am hard at it for you, my darling. HUGS! :D:D
optimus prime101 chapter 247 . Sep 9
Who is cord is he good guy or bad guy?
ME: They always tell me as I write this. I have cons and bots on both sides who I start with, then it changes or not as I go. This bot is taking the path of a man in another series that I loved. I think he's going to surprise everyone including himself. When this arc concludes, I'll tell you the name of the man that is being the inspiration for him for some reason. HUGS! :D:D:D
jackalkat chapter 247 . Sep 9
glad you're feeling better and mending, arctie!
ME: The last bit of busted ass is nearly healed, my sweetie. I was so lucky. No broken bones or injuries. I should have been killed it was so hard and fast but life has a way of surprising you. I love to write this for you and that would have been a terrible place to end the story. LOL! HUGS, my darling! :D:D:D
Guest chapter 246 . Sep 8
Boy, I kinda like this Decepticon. Really curious about his motivations. Looking forward to the next chapter.
ME: a character from another show crept in to inform him. I like Cord because he's surprising me. I don't believe that all villains are terrible and without something to make them reasonable. But we shall see. When this arc is over I will reveal who he's telling me he's like. HUGS, darling. :D:D:D
Misty Legionnaire chapter 245 . Sep 6
Boy, do I have this image of the smart aft Decepticon calling the Autobots going, "Hey, we all made it out perfectly fine. Looks like you got your aft roasted. Did you need some salve for it?"
I look forward to the next chapter.
ME: BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHA! Some of the Decepticons are hilarious to me. I think Starscream is the epic 'Con with his bs and his hilarity. HUGS, my darling Misty. :D:D:D0
Misty Legionnaire chapter 244 . Sep 5
I love the Titans and dreads doing planning.
ME: the first time I ever got a bead on their character was with a graphic novel with Metroplex and a few Autobots he was saving from Sixshot and the War for Cybertron. Metroplex is a phenomenon. HUGS, darling! :D:D:D
Just buckets of love for all of you wherever you are. Remember, this slag we're going through won't last. Our good people will save us. This is know. I'm old. ;)