The Diego Diaries: Emo (dd7 139)
=0=Ops Center
Hercy, Kup, Springer and Drift sat in the conference room with the rest of them hearing the word on what had been gathered about Faber and the Tulsa side of his family that lent their name to Faber and Tulsa Communications. They had broken for three joors to do their part of the initial probe while Barron and his group put together a dossier of anything and everything known about them.
It was a lot.
The little femme, E-7 or '7' was leading the outline. She had images, maps, data, police reports and their own propaganda about themselves. Their egos, apparently, knew no bounds.
"They're a big family by high caste standards though how many we're facing is unknown. The entire family is flagged for outstanding warrants on Cybertron and I'm sure there will be more added as this plays out. The leadership of the family is Faber himself taking over for his atar and ada. He's the guiding hand behind everything from the Clampdown through The Fall and The Exodus. He, Faber has two sons, the oldest Tulsa who is named after his ada's family patriarch and the younger, Clamp. Fuller is his brother.
"They're all university graduates, worth unconscionable amounts of all manner of wealth," she said with a slight distaste her background couldn't squelch, "and are a tightly knit family unit. There is a division between the uncle, Fuller and his nephews, Clamp and Tulsa. Tulsa is the heir apparent and Fuller isn't happy about it. Clamp himself wants to do more than slag lies and propaganda. Its believed that he wanted to inject truth into their operation at the end. Or his version of it. There was a real division between them at the time. Whether that's lasted until now is unknown.
"Their ada is Machlis of Iacon who's the Tulsa connection. Tulsa is the patriarch of the family and is a banker. He has power and money that was invested in everything thus making them as powerful as the media magnate side. The Tulsa branch is low key while the Faber side is very outgoing and socially striving," she said distastefully.
"They were the propaganda arm of successive governments and were also notorious for getting information out of those who might have power and using it for their own goals while holding their victims hostage. They were partners in the governments of every Prime since Zeta.
"When the government fell at the end only then did they take steps to disappear. They had planned it a long time apparently and when it was clear that Megatron was going to win they left Cybertron with a large party and disappeared. Where they went is unknown.
"How many of them lived to escape is unknown. Given their preparations against the possibility of a fall of the planet, its estimated that perhaps most if not all of them made it away. They were lost in the chaos of The Exodus." She looked at her data pad.
"The personality types, weaknesses and strengths are on the data pads before you but its understood that Faber is ruthless, humorless, relentless in pressing his point of view and that his interest in the well being, lives and safety of others is non existent. He's known to become violent to those who don't share his point of view and dismissive of anyone but the most rarefied high castes.
"Fuller is hard headed, impetuous and considers himself to be a lot smarter than he is. He is the favorite of their genitors who were reclusive. Their atar is Trailer of Iacon and their ada is Flight of Capital City. Flight dotes on her sons and spoils them, causing sometimes rifts between them and their atar.
"They have a daughter named Del. She's college educated, considered a beauty and was a vice president in their business organization. What she actually did is unclear. She's bonded to a mech named Deebo who is the son of Proctor of Galaxy Industries, one of the board members, that is. He's a business cipher and not much is known about him. He stayed low. His bond, Del is a socialite, whatever that is."
It amused everyone in the room to listen to and watch the distaste on the pretty face of 7 as she read out her data. Being a Functionalist, this was way out of her wheelhouse. She continued to paint a picture of extremely privileged individuals of a certain point of view who had everything they ever wanted and then some. Given that Prime and Company now knew where they were, it was only a matter of time to collect data, then pay them a call.
Prime listened to her, then watched as she sat down. "Thank you, 7."
She nodded. "It is my honor, Lord Optimus," she replied with a slight bow of her helm.
"They sound like a barrel of laughs," Springer said. "What do you want to do? Do a flyby and see what's up? It could go any number of ways if we do."
"We need more intel. I would like a Seeker flight to be dropped off nearby by bridge then do a flyover of whatever is there. I want to know their living situation and who is being abused to make it happen. I want to know if they have alien allies and what they have done to secure that kind of alliance. I need more information."
Starscream who was consulting with the Great Elder off line looked at Prime. "We can get that done in short order."
"Very well," Prime said. "I want you to continue on your part. I would like to meet up in a joor again." He looked at the legal team. "I would like you to stay. I have questions."
They agreed, then all watched as the rest walked out to begin their part of the play. When the door closed, Prime turned to the group. "We have a possible rescue ahead of us. However, I want to know the limitations of my power. I want to know what my options are if they decline to come."
The legal beagles worked together a moment, then Barron presented their findings. "The Charter of the Primes and the related documents, especially the findings, laws, regulations and assurances of the First Convocation apply and are the basis of your power no matter what, where, how and when Cybertron and her people exist. The documents and the fact that because of the threat we stay at modified martial law gives you immense leeway.
"If we go there and the majority decide they don't want to leave then you still have authority to remove them anyway. It also applies even more so if because of their situation they appear to be incapacitated or intimidated in some way or are incapable of making a good decision, then you have a moral and legal obligation to step in and rectify the situation.
"We've been spacing going our entire existence and there's precedence in law and the history books where a Prime recalled a settlement or settled world. If there's a threat then the state has what is called 'an abiding interest' in intervening and providing for the situation. It's not considered in the best interests of the Cybertronian people to ignore their situations and not take an interest in their welfare. The situation with the Functionalist Council settlements is a case in point." Barron studied his data pad. "You have every authorization and power to do that. Your power and authority derives from the Matrix and beyond that the Pantheon and The One. There's no case nor argument that will stand against intervening here if such is necessary to protect life and limb."
"Something tells me that's a good thing," Springer said. "I doubt given the individuals involved that their colony or settlement is a democratic and balanced thing. We could've just stumbled into a very bad thing. Consider also the bearings it takes to come back to Cybertron and expect that you can just pick up your life after all the slag they did. They shut down Blaster on Free Net and his was the last voice going that wasn't state owned."
Prime nodded. "I agree. I am relieved to know that the authority that I bear is lawful and within bounds. I do not want to revive even by accident the past and all its horrors especially when we are dealing with some of the worst offenders."
"Frag them," Prowl said with a scowl. "My grandgenitors, my atars' genitors worked in communications. They were put out of business by Faber and Tulsa. They weren't dissidents by any measure of the word but they didn't like the depth and kind of lies that this group told. They were religious and felt that it was a blow to Primus to uphold the worst aspects of the regime to the detriment of Lord Primus."
"They would be right," Magnus said with a nod. "These individuals created chaos, divided us into warring camps and made the end inevitable. None of their ideas and points made sense. They were illogical, untrue and stupid. I gave up on the news. It was clear that they were sowing fear in the populace and a badly informed and fear riven populace is an easily controlled one. They have a lot to answer for, all of them."
"When the word comes back with the Seekers then we will be able to plan," Prime said. "I am not in favor of them living in such a volatile energetic rift region. That area is too unstable for anyone. We also cannot protect them when they are so far away. The Decepticons are active nearby as well. It is time for them to rejoin the flock."
They sat together discussing the situation from a legal point of view and then documents were drawn up detailing in clear language what the totality of Optimus's power was, it was a much easier group all in all.
The door opened as Starscream returned along with Red Wing and Thundercracker. "We're going to be sending these two out with a fast group to get a flyby. I want it to be so fast that no matter what they have we can return without too much flack."
"We?" Thundercracker asked with a grin. "What's this 'we' slag?"
Starscream grinned. "You must have forgotten that I always go with you in spirit."
That got the slag it deserved, then the two filed out as Starscream pulled up a chair. "We should know in a joor. The bridge will put them in flight distance of the coordinates and then with a swift swing around they will fly back in to disappear."
"It's going to alert them and if they don't know about your people defecting, then they'll probably believe that the 'Cons found them," Springer said. "It might be interesting to see if they do have an alliance with them. If they panic, then we know they don't. Yet."
Prime nodded. "I agree."
=0=Out there
They burst out of a space bridge, four flights of Seekers with specialties and very big rockets on board. They formed up and flew onward into the darkness to a coordinate that would tell them if they had another group of lost sheep or whether they would have to shoot their way out of their mission.
=0=Ops Center
"They left the bridge and are heading toward the coordinate's location," Prowl said as he listened and watched data both internally and on the two big battle data pads that he used now. One was for the intricate small stuff and the other was big picture.
They had adjourned to the Center taking seats around the big mission table. The legal beagles went off to work out their part and prepare to receive and represent possible criminals. The rest waited in the command center to be ready to do whatever Prime wanted done.
Hardie watched beside Paragon and Prowl. Ratchet and Ironhide sat side-by-side. Steiner, Hercy, Kup, Drift, Springer, Sun, Aunt Lissie and Jack were there as well. Magnus sat beside Prime discussing something off line and still others came drawn by the possibilities or a need for their expertise. It was quiet in the room.
Then the intercom linked to the Seekers began to relay their chat back to the Ops Center.
=0=TBC 11-21-19
ESL
dossier (doss-E-ay) A cool word meaning a compilation of information about someone or something. Usually the collected information of an intel operation or operative.