The Diego Diaries: Word (dd7 228)
=0=Speech
"Good morning, I am Optimus Prime. I am happy to speak to you about the events of the past few orns that followed Christmas Surprise. We received word that a battle group that had not been in the local sphere of Decepticon influence since the orns of Nova Prime was coming to Nova Cronum to seek information and resupply. They were told to come in peace without weapons or rancor. They did not choose to do that and after holding the group in space, we allowed two battleships and a cruiser to land. Their leader was aboard one of the battleships and when he came out to talk he chose to fight instead.
"The battle if it came was planned to happen at the Old Airfield nearby. They were landed there, surrounded and when the battle initiated it was brutal and deadly. One of the ships, a cruiser was hit, then decided to fire upon us. In doing so it hit a battleship destroying it and its crew, then a hit to its reactor blew up the cruiser. That was the action whereupon most of the Autobots, myself included were damaged.
"We were able to subdue this portion of the fleet, then turned our efforts to space. The ships waiting permission to land began to arm up and fight. We allowed them to leave orbit rather than risk a shoot out in which they could fall from space to the ground below onto a number of refugee camps that number of 15,000,000 individuals or launch fighters from their carriers which could harm those in the camps as well. We subdued them away from Cybertron and that force was gathered up to be detained.
"During the course of this action we were monitoring a deteriorating situation involving the populations of two refugee colony worlds in The Ruins of the Benzuli Expansion. Just getting to them with our armada through the unpredictable energy rifts was dangerous enough but we also had to contend with the Vergo Confederation, a multi-species collaborative group that has traded for our technology in violation of our laws and treaties, both with the leadership of Sun Base and that of the Fundamentalist Functionalists who we dealt with shortly ago.
"They came to see what was happening and when their scouts were turned away by our battle shuttles, they began to gather a vast force to come forward to Sun Base and Homeland. It was then that we decided rather than abandon the worlds filled with our technology or destroy worlds that were home to other life forms we would move them. In the past, Autobot technology made this possible and the archives demonstrate that our people have done this with over 30 worlds.
"Our Sciences department has been working for some time to devise a way to retrieve Cybertron and bring our home world to a safe star along with the local group and all of our planetary system, one that was closer to us and could support at stable life for all of them. It is my hope that this will be accomplished and every time we do this, whether its to save the colony world of Caminus or these two, it makes things even more possible for Cybertron.
"Because the Triggers were utilized for the transfer of Sun Base and Homeland, we were unable as a battle group to leave the area right away. We were challenged by the Vergons who bridged to us, again, a violation of our technology treaties that allowed them to do so and when they arrived they made an energy weapon out of their ship configurations to shot with their combined power a beam at Clipper, a dreadnought ship in our armada. Because a number of metrotitans were aboard to help, both from Mars and Cybertron and they were in pretender gear, the weapon caused a feedback loop which hurtled the individuals back to their bases where they were then thrown into stasis. That is why the cities went down and the colony was in disarray.
"We clashed with the Vergons, then formed up around Clipper to flee to buy time for the Triggers to be able to retrieve us. We led them away from Cybertron and this system so they would not be able to find us on our home turf. When the Triggers did recall us to Mars we were heading in the wrong direction and they were following.
"As it stands now, we have an alien confederation, an organic confederation that is supplemented with our technology. Few if any species in the universe can take us on head-to-head and walk away from the encounter. This group is no exception. We are going to be working out counter measures to their energy device which requires a great number of ships to generate enough power to take out a vessel like Clipper. We will succeed and you can have faith in our scientists, military, Seekerkin and everyone who works to make and keep us all safe both on the ground and in space.
"Right now, our plan is to turn dishes and arrays in their direction, monitor the Benzuli as we always have and continue forward. There is nothing for you to worry about and we hope that you welcome our new refugees into their new lives the way you always do. I am very proud of our military, our science division, the civilians of the Home Guard and the workers of this colony whose efforts brought our city formers back on line. I am very proud and grateful to all of you and to the titans that joined us to protect our people wherever they are. Some came from Cybertron to assist and all of them brought honor to us as a nation and as a people.
"Our troops are recovering and so is our disrupted life here. I welcome personally all of you from Homeland and Sun Base. Welcome to the life you should have always had. It is by Primal Decree and the Decree of the Pantheon and The One through the devices of a Primal Hearing with Special Circumstances that I remind everyone who can hear my voice that the System of Exception is rejected, outlawed and banned from all settlements, colonies, stations, ships and other devices wherever and whenever Cybertronians exist. Lord Primus Himself made it very personally clear.
"For now, settle in and find your footing. Every Cybertronian rescued makes us stronger. Every Cybertronian matters. You are welcomed here among your comrades and countrymen. Thank you for your forbearance during a difficult time. This is Optimus Prime. Until all are one."
The screen changed to the Emblem of the Primes.
Optimus Prime sat back stiffly in his chair on his set as Prowl walked toward him. He helped him rise, then they chatted a moment with Blaster, Jazz and the crew before he limped out to the lobby for the cab ride home. He chatted, was touched and waved at on the way to the curb outside as the cab drove up. With infinite fuss by Prowl, he slid in and Prowl followed. The cab pulled away and they were headed into traffic and the drive along Cultural Center Road to home.
"That was short and detailed," Prowl said.
"Sometimes I think it is better to know what is going on than to guess," Prime said as he waved to a Day Watch horseback patrol they were passing. "I am told the humans are always surprised how open our society is. What is this I hear about a couple of hundred human societal engineers meeting at Unidad for a conference?"
"They arrived yesterday and will be here about a week to tour the colony and speak to a lot of mechs and femmes. I was told they want to speak to you as well. They're intrigued by the quality of life here in a cashless society," Prowl said.
Prime nodded. "Things are only worth what the collective believes they are worth. If I had a choice between a donut and a gold brick in an Apocalypse, I would take the donut."
Prowl nodded. "It amuses me how people hoard things like gold and silver against a disaster. I wonder why they haven't figured out you can't eat gold."
Prime chuckled softly. "I hear you."
They drove to the curb, then Prime got out slowly with Prowl's help. Limping to the door of his building, pausing to listen to a new refugee tell him their thanks, he made it to the elevator and rode upward toward his house. They entered The Residence where Prowl helped Prime to sit in his chair with the requisite drink, snack, books, remotes for various things and other necessities of life. He set the comm device to voice command, then walked into the kitchen to get the supplements that Prime would take to strengthen the protoform that was anchoring his new strut welds.
Prime watched him fuss, then grinned slightly. This Prowl was 180 degrees the opposite of the hard headed, tough, no nonsense, sometimes no humor and no give Prowl of his working experience. Having such a smart, sometimes oblivious, Machiavellian-esque partner in planning and doing had been one of the highlights of his life. Prowl could hold a grudge and would even take a few to the grave now.
Prime wasn't that type of mech. They were opposites and because they were, they were perfect for each other. When Prowl set his algorithms to nurture, there was no stopping him. Prime sat back and prepared to be pampered.
He was.
Prowl made it to the street, caught the cab and went back to The Fortress the easier and faster way. He had to go to lunch with Loon and the Squad so he had to plan a lunch for Prime that was all his favorites, then have time to deliver it before rushing to the Diner.
Life was complicated sometimes.
He disappeared into the traffic of mid morning.
=0=Leaving a place
Ratchet stepped out of the apartment of a mech who had been crushed between two ships in a shootout some time back. They had in a refugee migration a Decepticon group that was conned by their own leader to flee into the refugee ships all around them so he could escape. A lot of death came from that including about nine children. One of the victims was his personal patient.
He had a family, a little mech, a little femme and a nervous high strung bond. That mech was a nice person who had nearly lost his bond and thus, he was on edge about Gord-E ever 'really getting better, doctor?'
Ratchet glanced at Gord-E who was still half splinted up from the crushing blow he'd been delivered when he was thrown from a ship as it came together with another. He had half his splints removed thus far as he recovered but it was slow. The kids went to school, Sparkling Day #29 at Crater District 2, City 4.
His bond liked to stay at home doing this and that, having a good optic for crafts. He took care of Gord-E but worried that he wouldn't be able to be a holy terror like he was before. Apparently, Gord-E loved to climb things and do sports.
"He's going to be dancing before you know it. You'll do your sports and slag again, Gord-E," Ratchet said more for his bond's sake than Gord-E.
Tor-kay, the bond loved to chat, look at new things then try to make them and read. He LOVED to read. That Gord-E loved to listen to him read was a win-win in Ratchet's book. When the two of them could go out together a lot would be made right, he thought.
He was finished with his rounds so he headed for the Metro nearby for the ride to Autobot City and lunch with the Squad. It was with a light step he entered the underground, then disappeared into the crowd.
=0=Diner On The Corner
Edict, Madura with his son, Joon, Miler, Kestrel, Alor who was in town, Turbine who had just finished the prayer cycle for Cybertron's dead and needed a drink, Delphi who was off and Lazlo sat at a couple of tables shoved together sipping their drinks as they waited for the rest to show.
Ratchet and Prowl entered together, then took a seat.
"About time you got here. I'm half in the bag," Alor said with a grin.
"What are you doing here? I figured you were on duty," Ratchet said as everyone gave their orders.
"Don't tell anyone," Alor said with a wink. "When are we going on the town again?"
"How about orn after tomorrow?" Edict said as he checked his calendar.
It would be unanimous.
Someone would alert Springer and Drift. What would come after that was no one's fault.
Probably.
=0=TBC 3-11-2020
ME: HAHAHA! IT TOOK NEARLY THREE MONTHS TO WRITE THE EVENTS OF ABOUT FOUR DAYS! Such is a slow meandering story that strives to add all points of view and goings on. HUGS!