The Diego Diaries: Surprise (dd7 140)
=0=There
They came upon a scene unfolding before them that was surprising and unexpected. Three ships were trading blows, two against one and all of them were obviously configured Cybertronian. They were flying toward a signal that indicated to the Seekers that there was a major habitation nearby. One ship chased by two was getting the worst of it and it trailed debris and fluids as it began to slow.
:Cloud to Command:
"Command here," Thundercracker replied as he sat at Flight Control.
:We have a fight, two to one, Cybertronian on both sides. One ship is about to lose. Orders: Cloud replied.
Thundercracker turned to Prime.
"Intervene on the one," Prime said. "End the fight. Tell them we are on our way." Prime then rose to head toward the door as the all call went out to Alpha Rapid Response Team Alpha-Beta and the Senior Command. He left Ops Center at a run.
Outside …
Will rode on Ratchet's servo as the big mech ran for Salton Sea. He'd been there watching from a distance and called for Ratchet to be able to go.
Ratchet goed and so did Lennox.
Up the ramp they want with a host of heavily armed others. Ships began to lift off the flight line as Flight Control halted normal traffic on and off world to give them priority to go.
=0=The Hourly News
"We've just received word that the Alpha fleet has lifted off at the Military Airfield to pursue what is being characterized as a humanitarian rescue somewhere not disclosed yet. Optimus Prime and his senior command are leaving along with a strong force and several flights of Seekers. You are asked to remain away from the area until the flight is airborne. More information will be released when it's known. Until then, let's see about the weather for the next decaorn ..."
=0=Out there
It was an expedited trip through the bridge to the scene where a number of Seekers were chasing off the two ships that were eviscerating one which was floating helplessly nearby. Both sides were Cybertronian. Both were unknown entities perhaps living out here in the worst possible place for a habitation.
"What is the status of that ship?" Prime asked as he glanced at Hound.
Hound worked a moment, then turned to Prime. "Its done, Prime. We better evacuate it pronto."
"Open a channel, Blaster," Prime said.
Blaster worked a moment. "You're on, Prime. It's not a good channel. They have heavy damage to communications. Deliberate, I think."
"Unknown ship, this is Optimus Prime. Please report your status. We are going to board for assistance."
The sound of crackling static came over the ship, then a voice. "Help us. We're coming apart and have wounded."
"On our way. Hold on," Prime said.
Ironhide and Sun were already on their way with Ratchet.
=0=Over there
They bridged into the ship which was in tatters from strategic shooting by the two who were chasing it. They glanced around through the smoke and fires, then headed forward. They would find wounded everywhere.
=0=Salton Sea
Prime stood on the hangar deck as the wounded were brought over from the burning hulk nearby. There were no fatalities but many wounds. Ratchet managed them to the hospital on board disappearing with a group of femmes. Prime watched them go, then walked to the elevator to go upward. A mech who was wounded in the arm would come to him when he had it attended to. He was the captain of the vessel.
Prime got off at the deck, walked to the command chair, then sat. Around him the crew worked as nearby Will Lennox sat on a comfy chair watching and filming things with his camera. After a few moments the elevator opened and a very emotional mech limped in along with Ratchet and Sun.
He walked with them to Prime whereupon the mech stared at Optimus with an almost agonized surprise. He bowed deeply. "Lord Optimus … I was almost without hope of ever seeing anyone from Cybertron let alone you, sir."
"Welcome. You are safe with us. How is the party?" he asked Ratchet.
"Nothing too terrible. Mostly ricocheting shrapnel from hits," Ratchet replied.
"I am glad," Prime said with relief. He looked at the mech before him, a former mid caste mech who was big, handsome and had an aura of confidence in spite of his situation. He was like any mech on this deck. "Who are you and what does this mean?"
"I'm Aerodyne. Most call me Aerie. I'm a merchant and we were flying from a meeting with trade partners when the ships found us. We tried to outrun them but it was impossible. We were about done when you showed up. Thank you for that. My bond was on board as well," he said with emotion. He bowed again.
"Who were the others?" Prime asked. It was deeply silent on the deck as the gathered warriors and worker bees listened as well.
"They were from Sun Base, a colony world nearby," Aerie said. "We're from Homeland. Its a couple of worlds not far from here. We were once together, all of us, then we split apart. Its a long story," he said.
"We have time," Prime said as he nodded to an empty seat next to the pilot, Rem.
Aerie limped to it and sat gratefully. "We were part of a group, a huge group that fled Cybertron during the Exodus. We picked up more, a lot more and when we came here we found half a dozen worlds that were good places to stay, though three were far apart from the other three. We could fly to each other easily anyway. They were amazing … oceans and rivers, plants, resources … they were emerging worlds without any leading sentient life forms. They were miracles, just gardens. We landed and chose up leadership to represent the people's will during a convocation.
"It divided down the middle after a lot of arguments, the high castes and some mid who made alliances breaking with the low and high/mids that didn't want The System anymore. A lot of us blamed it for our situation and didn't want anything to do with it anymore. I'm sure you aren't surprised," he said ruefully.
Prime shook his helm. "I have heard that story before."
"We had a lot of arguments, some fights, a lot of hatred and bad feeling built, then it was decided to break into two settlements," Aerie said. "We were divided a long time without contact, then a meet up was agreed to. We had a great settlement, three cities if you could call them that. Our population is over three million and growing. Some small settlements and wanderers have come to us and they're always welcome. We make all welcome. We have no System and we rule by consensus. That's not the way of Sun Base. We're democratic all the way.
"We came to the meeting. Homeland is huge. There must be a several million there in one big city with smaller satellites streaming off of it. They use another world for resources and live on this one. But its divided. There's a wall built between both sides that encloses the outlying cities that are home to the worker bees, the low castes that had come there after settlement and those who had been with them during the convocation. They post rules and have signs about what some can do and others can't. Its horrible.
"Apparently, neither the lows or mids with them knew what was happening because they never allowed any of them to come to the meetings and they never told them what was happening. I suspect that they even told them that it was dangerous for the lows to know or come to us.
"They didn't know that there was another place to go that would welcome them as equal. They're held there to do the work, live apart and whatever. I don't know how much of the System they have to endure but it can't be good."
Prime vented a sigh. "Why were they attacking you?"
"We're at war," Aerie said grimly.
=0=Ops Center
Prowl listened grimly. He'd sent for the Second Team as they were called, the religious leadership and those among the philosophical elite among them that helped diffuse any emergence of The System or religious strife that arrived amongst them. It was a committee created after the Functionalist debacle to advise and assist with any further types of situations.
Armour, Chrome and Lady Sela were there for The Temple. Cyclonus looking like a thundercloud was there for the Monastery and Guiding Hand with the Master of the Hall, the aptly named Guardian, a mech who was a sort of parliamentarian for the rules of the Guiding Hand, Heatout and his partner, Northrim who was a master of the rules of the Circle of Light, Star Saber for the Knights of Cybertron and Resus who was Advocate for the tiny Functionalist community that was here and thriving.
They were resources for Prowl and Company against any and all situations and arguments that might come up regarding anything to do with religion and its application to things that others did. It would appear that The System was thriving in this new place and it would be likely that their intervention as leaders of their respective groups and experts at the nuts, bolts and rules of their faction would be needed.
"They've implemented The System and we have two opposing sides, one that supports it and one that doesn't. They appear to be very big groups with perhaps one side using subterfuge to gain new population toward unsuspecting new-comers," Prowl had told them grimly.
They sat around him grim faced as they listened. The group had gathered to sit around the table in the Ops Center and listen. It was clear to them that they had a major situation on their hands.
=0=Prime
"Tell me about the other side, as much as you can. Then tell me about yours," Prime asked.
Aerie considered that. "We don't know much about the other side now. We haven't had direct contact since The Breach as we call it. We communicate, if we do at all, by radio and messaging. The group is ruled by a Committee of The People as they call it and they enforce their laws with an iron fist. We've tracked groups of Cybertronians that have been headed that way who never get past Homeland. We've concluded that they're lured to land and never get off world again."
"How do they control everyone?" Sun asked with a certain notion forming in his processor with dread.
"That's the weird part. We can only conjecture but we do believe they keep order with control devices planted on the lower castes," Aerie said grimly. "We know the high castes are outnumbered, that and the mids who collaborate. The only way they could manage this even with propaganda efforts would be to control the local populations in some manner.
"They trade with others including tech prohibited by the Tyrest Treaties. We trade with many of their own partners and see our tech with them. It's never weapons but it doesn't take much for enterprising groups to work that out," Aerie said. "They've violated every manner of law and custom of our people."
"And your people?" Prime asked.
"We're a democratic republic. Everyone has a vote and say. We abolished caste from the beginning and we're thriving even out here. We have freedom of the press so anyone can have a say. The Sun Basers don't. They only publish propaganda," Aerie said. "Everyone gets to live their life on our world. Schools are for everyone. We work hard at our unity, Prime and we're a good place."
"What led to war?" Sun asked, his suspicions confirmed.
Aerie's expression hardened. "We had a meeting and they decided that we'd surrender to their rule or they would attack us every time we left world to go into space. They made allies and used them against us. We've been at war ever since."
Prime considered that. "We need to communicate with your leadership, then have a meeting. I would like you to contact your leader and allow me to talk to him."
Aerie nodded. He waited as Hound pulled up the right channels using the codes from Aerie's ship. A face came on screen from a flight command on his home world. "Who calls us? We don't recognize your channel."
Aerie stood. "This is Aerie of The Dove. We were attacked by Homeland ships and saved by the Prime of Cybertron. He wishes to speak to the Premier."
The mech appeared startled, even more so when Prime stood, then walked to Aerie. "I wish to speak to your Premier. Tell him that Optimus Prime of Cybertron wishes his time."
The flight controller stared with disbelief at Prime, then nodded. He worked on the control panel before him, then the screen changed. There was an emblem of Homeland on screen, then it changed.
Prime stared at the figure on the view port with surprise. "I am Optimus Prime. Who is it that I am speaking with?"
The figure stared at Prime with surprise, then gathered himself. "I am Stryker, the Premier of Homeland. I am honored to see you, Optimus Prime," he said as he bowed.
Prime was silent a moment. "As I am to see you," he said as he spoke to a doppelganger of Prowl.
=0=TBC 11-24-19
I was so sick the last two days. Sorry about that. I feel mucho better. More to come. :D:D:D
I will put the notes on the bottom of the part I'm going to post today to get caught up. HUGGIES!