The Diego Diaries: Familia (dd7 143)
NOTE: This was supposed to go out but I got called to work to help with flooding. :D:D:D Lucky me. :D:D:D Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, celebrants or not. You are golden to me.
=0=The Operational Center of Homeland
Prime listened as Styre explained on a data map the local area, how it worked between them and Sun Base and the fissures of energy as well as the local aliens. The confederation that they'd fought for the Functionalist Colony was a major player here and so were others including nomads, pirates, criminals and the Decepticons. There were no other groups of Cybertronians in need this way but the two factions of this battle.
The sound of heavy treads behind them drew Prime's attention. He glanced over his shoulder to note Prowl's appearance. He glanced at Styre who was still explaining. "Styre, I would like you to turn around please," he said gently.
Styre glanced at Prime, then over his shoulder. He tensed as he saw someone he never expected to see again halt himself with the same intense surprise that suffused him. He glanced sharply at Prime, then turned to face his grandson, his Prowl, the one named after his own father. "What is this?" he stammered.
Prowl stared at the grandfather who was most like him even if he still was caught in the lies of The System anyway. Styre and his amma were good to him, amusing and even somewhat understanding. He, Styre was a product of a dynastic bonding and even though it had been a wonderful match, it was still out of his control. His own father, Prowl and ada, Amston had been as much a prisoner of their culture as he was.
Prowl was different. He was rebelling and somewhere in Styre's deepest spark he was terribly proud of his grandson. Now he was here and it was almost shocking in a deep and hurtful way to see him. He glanced at Prime. "I didn't ask. I didn't ask you if Prowl was alive and with you. I was too afraid."
Prime nodded. "He is my bond."
Styre actually flinched. "What?" He looked at Prowl taking steps toward him. "Prowl ..." he said in a deeply pained voice. He walked to Prowl and embraced him tightly. "Oh, Prowl. My grandson."
Prowl embraced him back. It was silent a moment, then Prowl whispered, "I saw you in a vision. You said you were coming and that things had changed for you."
Styre nodded. "They have, Prowl. I can't believe you're here. The bond… you're bonded to Prime?"
Prowl looked at his grandfather's agonized face. "I am, Appa. I am and we have children. You have great grandchildren. Where is Amma?"
Styre stared at Prowl, then startled. "I'll call him." He thought a moment, then embraced Prowl once more. "I love you, Prowl. I told you when you were young and I tell you now. I'm proud of you. You always knew who you were."
Prowl hugged him basking in the unexpected but intensely warm feelings that he remembered from his youngest orns living with his grandparents on vacations. The sound of running peds could be heard so he turned to look.
Running through the door to skid to a halt, he saw his Amma
Stealth. He looked stricken as he stared at his grandson, someone he'd consigned to the past without hope for the future. He stared at Prowl, then ran forward to embrace him. He wailed as he did, gripping Prowl tightly. "PROWL! YOU LIVE! YOU LIVE!" he cried.
Styre watched them with a shuddering emotion, then turned to Prime. He bowed deeply, then stepped forward. "There are others … my son … would you know?"
"Venture and Miler live. They are safe in our colony," Prime replied.
Styre gripped the sides of his helm, swaying slightly.
Optimus took his arm and led him to a chair as Ratchet stepped up to check Styre.
Prowl gently guided Stealth to a chair, then he sat heavily gripping Prowl's servo tightly. "YOU LIVE! I DON'T KNOW WHERE VENTURE AND MILER ARE! WE TRIED TO FIND YOU AND THEM! I COULDN'T FIND ANY OF YOU! I TRIED!"
Prowl knelt. "We're all safe. Its over, long over. We're all safe. Atar and Ada are in the colony, Amma. Venture and Miler are safe. They came to the colony on a migration."
Stealth silenced as he stared at Prowl, the emotions on his face changing from agony to disbelief, then hopefulness. "My son … and Miler?"
Prowl nodded, then rose as Ratchet stepped over to check him out. He sent both a script for their emotions. "You're going to be fine. I gave you both something for the shock."
They sat on their chairs, two mechs that bore an uncanny resemblance to Prowl. Both sets of grandparents were designed like him, something that was amusing to each side that they should. But then they were all from Praxus and were conservative in their practices and observances so it wasn't that unusual to see wealthy high castes who 'dressed down'. The showier ones usually were often 'new money' or show offs.
Styre glanced at Prowl. "My son and Miler are alive. I'm overcome. You said you have children?" He glanced at Stealth. "He's the bond of the Prime."
Stealth startled, the rose to turn to Prime with surprise. He stared at him, then bowed deeply. "I am … I'm so ..." He stammered, then was silent. "I am honored and so is my House, Lord Optimus," he said, then bowed deeply.
Styre rose and repeated the sentiment as both sides took in the other. They turned to Prowl.
Stealth walked to him and rested his servos on Prowl's shoulders. "You are my most beautiful grandson, our magnum opus. I love you, Prowl."
Prowl stared at his amma, then his appa who nodded. "I love you, too. You were the ones who gave me my best memories."
Styre considered that. "You were the one who showed all of us the way. You never gave in. You never accepted. You never trespassed on your caste for benefit like everyone else. You tried to help. You were a magnificent policeman. I'm proud of you and your rebellion. Your example helped liberate both of us in the Diaspora, Prowl. We're proud and grateful to you."
Prowl stared at them with an almost unbearable emotion, then nodded. He glanced around, then looked at both of them. "We want you to come with us. We want you back with us, all the lost people. How can we help you here to achieve this goal?"
"We will need to put it to the people, Prowl. We're a democracy. But the majority will be amenable, I think. The energy floes around here are not to be trusted. We want to do the best and most right thing possible." He shook his helm. "We never expected that we would ever see you again or hear about what has happened beyond this, our prison."
"We retook Cybertron without a shot. Megatron is gone chasing allies and breaking up empires far away. We have a great colony in a safe system. It's almost numbering 100,000,000 colonists. They come every day to safety and we take them in gratefully. What is the population here?" Prowl asked.
"We have 3,500,000 residences. We take the refugee groups that get past Sun Base. We try to provide for everyone," Styre said almost wearily.
"We succeed, Styre," Stealth said. He looked at Prowl. "Your appa leads the governing council. He does a heroic job of it."
Prowl nodded. "He always was efficient," Prowl replied with a punchline to a joke the three had shared since he was a pouty little mech.
Styre and Stealth grinned. "You remembered?"
"I can't forget," Prowl replied with the faintest of a grin.
"Then we must do what we need to do," Styre said. He turned to Prime. "How would it do to have our population come if they agree, Lord Optimus? Can you manage that many individuals?"
"We have managed millions at a time," Prime replied. The temperature of the room dropped almost precipitously as Prime glanced at the map as the emotion began to bleed off. "I would need to arrange things to receive the population. What would you need to do to see consensus here?"
"We would have to call the council, discuss the situation, then put it to the people. We can't make arbitrary decisions. It would have to take agreements from the populace," Styre said.
"Then we should act," Prime said. "I will manage the situation with Sun Base. Until we know what the population here wants we cannot act further. I will leave that to you to discern. If they do not agree then we have to have another discussion with the ruling council. I have charters and laws in league with the Matrix to ensure that all of our people are safe. This area is not safe."
Styre nodded. "We can see what happens, Lord Optimus. I'm hopeful for the citizenry that they will see the futility of this place. We've discussed it a lot over the past few years. Everyone at some level knows that we live on a powder keg."
Prime nodded, then glanced at Prowl. "Would you assist your grand genitors with this issue. I am going to work on the problem of Sun Base."
Prowl nodded, then all of them watched as Optimus and his mechs walked toward the door to go to the ships outside. He turned back to his grand genitors. They were staring at him with emotional expressions. "I will help you."
"You always did, Prowler," Stealth said as he squeezed Prowl's servo.
The three walked to the table and Styre began to brief Prowl on the situation. Stealth stood beside Prowl offering a comment or two himself. He held Prowl's servo tightly as he did.
=0=On a ship on the tarmac outside
"Please put me through to Sun Base, Blaster," Prime said as he sat down on the command chair. The line was opened and the face of Faber appeared.
"Prime," Faber said coldly.
"Faber," Prime replied. "I am calling you to set up a time for me to inspect your colony. As the Prime of Cybertron, pertaining to the Charter of the Primes, the Protocols of Leadership as pertaining to the First Convocation and the Matrix, I am required to do so."
"No thanks, Prime. We're good," Faber said. "I don't acknowledge any of that out here."
"Blasphemy," Turbine said as he stood behind Prime. He had come to the scene from Cybertron to assist when the situation was reported to Ops Center and the Command Communication List. "You may mock anything but Prime and the Matrix. One will show you to be a coward, the other a dangerous fool."
Faber stared at Turbine. He saw who he was. The tattoos that Turbine bore and the markings of The One and The Pantheon that showed him Elder Clan and a Maker were distinctive and deeply respected. "Elder, I'm leader here. The Matrix hasn't been here to assist us in our joors of need. Therefore, respectfully, I decline the inspection no matter what justification Prime may claim. He has no authority here."
"You would be deeply wrong," Turbine said coldly. "We've already had one set of slaggers state that and The Pantheon has weighed in during a Primal Hearing with Special Circumstances which cleared that up, taking the culprits to the Matrix. Do you put yourself in opposition with The Pantheon, The One and Primus?"
Faber stared at him. "Yes. They weren't here when we needed them. I don't intend to bend my knee now when you show up."
"He's hiding terrible crimes, Lord Optimus," Turbine said. "A real leader with nothing to hide would allow the inspection but you and I both know that he's running The System down there and has a slave army doing the work."
Faber stared at both of them. "I have a lot to do. If this is all you want then I have to go. You are forbidden to come here."
"Do you know who I am?" Prime said coldly. "Do you know who you speak to?"
Faber sat back. "I'm aware. I just don't care nor do I acknowledge any sovereignty by you over me. Good day, Prime." The screen was cut.
"Well," Turbine hissed. "That slagger needs to know the error of his ways."
Prime nodded in agreement. He was pissed.
=0=TBC 11-28-19