The Diego Diaries: Sun Dance (dd7 176)
=0=Prime
The sound of happiness softened the grimness of the past few orns. The short staff meeting to be held later this afternoon was hoped to be the last official business they would have given that Christmas was the next day. That is if they could squeeze it in. The big family dinner was already on the way that night at Ratchet and Ironhide's house. Christmas Surprise orn was in The Residence and dinner would follow there. It would include at both events the usual horde.
It was also an open invitation to Shadow and Zenith which was made before the rescue of Styre and Stealth. That both Prime and Prowl didn't know that it would be a problem was probably for the good.
"What did you find out from the Other Side, if I may be so bold? Did the Pantheon say anything?" Ratchet asked as he winnowed down his plate as Prime began his courtesy of Granny.
Prowl sat and picked up his own. "You may not be. Bold that is. Insane, yes. Wildly inappropriate, always."
"You need to loosen the stays on your corset, Prowler. You do know that you depend upon me for all the gossip that goes on," Ratchet replied as Prime snickered.
"I do as well," Prime said as half of Ironhide's family joined them at their table. A flock of infants flew past, then vanished into the crowd.
"You look jolly," Raptor said. "How was the ho-ho-ho at Sparkling Day?"
"You were supposed to go with him," Prowl said with a gimlet optic. "I expected you and Turbine both."
"We were hunting down the wild youngling," Raptor said. "We were at Youngling Day helping infant there," he said nodding toward Ironhide who was filling his pie hole in the chair next to Ratchet. "Mech might get lost."
Ironhide paused his big fork, then frowned. "I was here before you."
"That's what surprises me. I would think you'd know the place better," Raptor said as he grinned at his big little mech.
"Coal. You're getting coal," Ironhide said. "I was thinking about adding a few more cows to my herd. What about it, Old Mech? Did you give me some more beeves?" he asked.
"Frag you, Ironhide," Ratchet said. "By the way, I'm taking Robby with me on rounds when the freeloading is over. The patients like him"
"Who wouldn't?" Ironhide asked. "How about you taking Pudding and Flipper and having a cattle drive?"
"I would but I can't fit a horse in the wards," Ratchet said.
They chatted about horses and cows, infants and what was happening for them during their time off. All of them hoped that nothing would happen to spoil the fun. They wouldn't be the only ones.
=0=Solitary Confinement, Autobot City Military and Civilian Prison, Autobot City, Primal Colony of Mars, Cybertron and The Empire, Postal District #11
Machlis sat in a cell that was designated solitary confinement. This was different than ad-seg or administrative segregation. This was inside a building, was a stone cell that was big enough to pace in, had a berth, a chair and nothing else. It had a thick steel door with a tiny window, the only one in the cell and around the ceiling discreetly placed were cameras that watched the inmate constantly.
Nearby in his own soundproofed cell sat Faber. The block was also the home of all of the others in the leadership including all of Machlis's family. It was their home-away-from-home until they sorted out what had happened, gathered a case to present to the grand jury that was sitting for their tour of service to hear.
They were a randomly chosen panel of 40 mechs and femmes of all ages, backgrounds and former castes. They would gather every second Friday as needed for half a year at a time to hear evidence and decide if it met the level of indictment. They would discuss the evidence, vote to indict or not, then hear the next case. Most of them were small infractions that necessitated that only 10 would be called that particular Friday but given the gravity of the cases shaping up … the Wheelus Faction, the Imperialis brothers, this group and a few others, it would be the province of all of them to decide.
He considered his predicament and fumed that such things wouldn't have happened on Cybertron. He had been a formidable mech, one who had propagandized against Prime to undercut his authority. By the time The Fall came, there was nothing to do but run. They had, all of them and Sun Base had come out of their travails. They hadn't learned a damned thing.
He rose to walk to the door which was open to view but inlaid with a clear glass that muffled sound. He was inside a silent cocoon. How long he would manage it was up to him. Machlis was tough. He was steel and wrapped up in his world view as tightly as could be. He didn't accept as truth what didn't fall within it. He didn't bend his knee to everyone and even though he wasn't the public face of their empire, he was the brains and the backbone of it. He had raised their children accordingly.
He walked back to sit and brood, musing on the idea of a therapist coming to evaluate him for suitability to stand trial. He sat back as he thought about the next few orns. No one was going to pierce his shields unless he allowed it.
He wasn't going to come hell or high water.
=0=Ops Center
They gathered together holding children up, their boozy smiles and relaxed joy a marvel to see. Snaps from the Center's many types of cameras would be had for the 'yearbook' or 'Prowl's blackmail files' before they would begin to amble out heading for home and further festivities later on. As they did, Ratchet and the others watched them go.
Prowl who was feeling no pain glanced at Ratchet. "I forgot to ask you about Banner." He grinned. "I think I'm drunk."
Ratchet smiled a dazzler at Prowl. "It's a good look on you. Let me tell you about Banner and when you sober up you can have this story to go with the one I told you about when it all happened? Savvy?"
Prowl stared at Ratchet, then sat back. "Speak, minion. I have spoken."
Huge laughter greeted that, then Ratchet began to (re)tell the tale …
^..^
They stared at the silent ship laying on the temporary pad created by Seekers flying over. Almost all of the titans and dreads were there in pretender gear to assist however they could to move Banner out of here and into the desert nearby. It was decided that they would bring him out of stasis in an uninhabited area to prevent trouble happening. It was a very good possibility that given the depth of his wounds, Banner could come out of stasis fighting.
He was going to be towed to the desert fifteen miles away where he would be brought to consciousness remotely by Ratchet. Given the potential for a real flailing reawakening, Clipper and Dangerous were here to take him up and away. The titans and Ratchet, Ironhide and Raptor would go on Banner until he was lowered. Ratchet had to maintain him in transit and set a quick timed stasis release at his command console. They entered the big mech and the whole thing began.
Overhead, two big ships were waiting. "Clipper to Ratchet. Let us know."
"On it, Clip. You and Danny can attach. I'll signal you when we're go," Ratchet said as he sat at the pilot's seat. Inputting a number of codes to allow Banner to be transported safely, he also set the timed stasis release. "We're go," he said.
A shudder hit the big mech, then the sensation of rising could be felt. Outside, the support group watched all around the area as the big vessel began to rise in the sky. After a moment of waiting to affix themselves even more, Banner under tow began to fly away into the desert…
^..^
"You didn't call me," Prowl said with a slight frown.
"You were doing your joors," Prime said with a grin.
"Where?" Prowl asked.
"In jail," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile. Then he continued …
^..^
They flew onward until they began to slow. Ratchet glanced at the solemn appearing group of gigantic mechs surrounding him. "You can head to the ground or the dreads. I suggest the dreads."
"What about you?" Ty asked as the sensation of settling rocked them slightly. "We're down."
"I'm coming, too. I always like to be around good looking mechs. Don't tell Ironhide," Ratchet said as he rose from the pilot's seat.
"I'M RIGHT HERE, OLD MECH!" Ironhide said with a grin.
They headed out toward the bridge and the short jump upward to Clipper.
^..^
"I saw the film. You shoulda called me," Prowl said. "I am after all the S.I.C. of this goat rodeo."
"You are and I have to say you're magnificent as head goat," Ratchet said with a smile …
^..^
They gathered around the pilot station on Clipper as Ratchet sat down to begin the release.
"What's the likelihood that he runs amok and heads for the colony?" Ironhide asked.
"Who knows?" Ratchet said with a smirk. "Not likely but who can really know about such things? What is the meaning of life, Ironhide?" Ratchet said as he began to warm up his bullshit.
"Life? I wouldn't know. I'm bonded with you," Ironhide said to huge laughter on deck.
"Frag you," Ratchet said with a dazzling smile. "Here we go." He keyed the code and everyone turned to the forward screen to watch.
Nothing happened a moment.
Then it did.
^..^
"Slagger." -Prowl
"Here, dear. Have another pretzel." -Miler
"I like pretzels." -Prowl
"Snickers!" -everyone still there
^..^
Nothing happened, then it did. A shift happened so fast that it was almost impossible to follow. Ratchet had set the stasis to begin with an emergency transformation to root mode. Where a highly repaired ship had lain, a huge robotic figure now appeared. Nothing else happened, then a burst of light signaled an emergency reboot that would bring him to sentience nearly immediately.
"Why so fast, Ratchet?" Xantium asked with surprise.
"I'm hoping that the jolt will dampen any impulse he has to get up and fight or run," Ratchet said. "Sometimes it brings about a cleared processor. Or not."
Nothing happened, then red optics onlined.
Everyone braced.
Then Banner sat up.
He glanced around with confusion, then looked upward toward the direction of the sound that was echoing around the area. He looked upward at Clipper.
"Ratchet to Banner."
He stared upward, then he spoke. "Ratchet?"
"Are you alright? Do you wanna fight or dance?" Ratchet asked.
He considered that, then glanced around. "Where am I?" he asked.
^..^
"Nothing happened. No fight? No dance?" -Prowl finishing his last pretzel.
"Nope. It worked." Ratchet smiled brilliantly, then rose unsteadily. "I think I'm going home to begin one of my many fine parties, where all the slaggers come and eat me out of house and home. Come with?"
Prowl looked at him, then smirked. "Fine parties," he said as he stood rather unsteadily himself. "You and fine … I'm not sure those two words applied together are legal."
"Well, I looked you up in the dictionary," Ratchet said as they linked arms and staggered forward together, "and saw in the entry synonyms such as 'repressed', 'sad', 'jail bait' and your number 'for a good time'."
Prowl laughed loudly, then glanced back at the others who were still sitting. "Coming?"
They glanced at each other, then rose. "Apparently we are," Prime said as he took his Ada's servo. "Last one to Ratchet's house is a loser." He glanced at his father. "See how much better I am getting at that?"
Tagg laughed. "Both of them are a bad influence on you, Orion."
They walked out following Ratchet and Prowl, the entire group including an enchanted Stealth and Styre carrying twinnies. They would meet the twins at the house.
=0=TBC 1-6-2020 :D