The Diego Diaries: Rage (dd7 284)
=0=Go there
The train system throughout the colony was a work and a wonder. The Metro lines carried millions of bots all orn long and into the night. It never stopped running and was directed, each train, by an automated system. It ran a number of lines, some that circled each individual city, others that branched off to others directly and one that circled the entire colony endlessly. The branch lines to other places were each color coded and it helped the citizens to figure out their routes every orn: "You take a yellow line to X station, then catch a blue to X place, then switch up there to take another yellow line to X station, then a green to the neighborhood."
It was designed to take millions of bots of the roads and did it beautifully. There were three other systems, all of these secured, dedicated and not utilized by the civilian population. The oldest was the underground freight train system, all of them automated which worked for the armories and depots. Those ran parallel to the civilian lines in specially designed cars that NEVER carried munitions with their detonators. They were duds until they reached their destination, either a hub depot or the fight line for use. That system was Ironhide's personal 'choo-choo' according to Appa Raptor and the elders of his family often took rides on them with him for the lulz.
So, often, did Prime if the truth were known.
The second dedicated train system was that which was commanded by, of all mechs, Springer. It was part of the security transport of the colony and carried dangerous mechs and femmes here and there. It was as heavily password protected and coded as the armory trains and in its confines prisoners could go from the prison to the courthouse to the Medical Center to the Processor Health Hospital and any combination of these without ever being seen by anyone but their guards. It never paralleled any of the colony's other train e and this was one of the most draconian transports ever, designed to prevent escape or anyone getting hurt if a rampage broke out.
The third was also an Ironhide family favorite as well as Optimus Prime. It was the overland train system, the only one that did, that ran on several hundred miles of track that took construction materials and workers, equipment and supplies to every place in the colony. Each new sight was added to the system which grew with every stroke of Optimus's stylus after planning meetings. It was highly loved by all, its whistles much appreciated and crossed highways as it wove its way around doing its thing. At the moment it was grounded as every inch of track was covered deeply with sand.
Right now, Optimus Prime, Ratchet and Prowl rode the security train to the Courthouse to visit the prisoner in the jail. Prowl held the data pad with his record, one that was spat out by Teletraan after accessing the masters on Cybertron. They reached the small station under the Courthouse on the fifth sub level of the ten that existed, then walked out. It was a short journey to the cell block. They walked inside, this the level that housed drunks and noted that the prisoners were well spaced apart. Down at the end in cell three, a big mech, young, strong and cagey appearing relaxed on a bunk as he watched the three approach. They halted before him, then each side took the measure of the other.
He was tall, young, very strong appearing and handsome. But Ratchet was right. There was a certain air, a 'knowing' hard expression that held back the fullness of his good looks. He was waiting for them. He wouldn't be volunteering anything. It was obvious that he'd been in jail before.
"I am Optimus Prime. You are a citizen of this colony, saved from the Diaspora by Dai Atlas and the Knights. Tell me your name," he said.
The mech stared at him for a moment, then shifted slightly. "My name is Diablo."
Prime considered that, knowing it was a lie. "The humans call their great deceiver Diablo, the Devil."
"I didn't know that," he lied again. "Thanks for the information."
It was quiet a moment, then Prowl raised the data pad and began to read in his cop voice, one that was saturated with ice cold precision. "You are Dimellio, a mech from Stanix. Your family is large and without blemish. You, on the other servo, are a life long criminal with at least 42 arrests to your credit for fighting, gang violence, extortion, theft and aggravated assault. Shall I include the rest or do you get the picture?"
The mech stared at Prowl, then grinned slightly. "No. I'll take your word for it."
[Silence]
"You are from a gang and you brought that here," Prime said. "We do not tolerate gangs, violence or criminal behavior. Tell me who the others are and it will help you forward," Prime said.
"Let's assume you're right about the gang stuff … why would I tell you anything? I got drunk. I got into a fight. I can plead guilty and take my lumps. There's no benefit for me to tell you anything because if I did as a gang member, and I'm not saying I am … they will kill me. You grew up in the slums. You know the code," he said.
Prime considered that answer. Two of the three standing before Dimellio knew 'the code' as well. That's why the group he grew up with never allowed gangs to come into their neighborhood. They beat the slag out of them wherever they were found until they left. It was why Docker had made a fire bomb, threw it into a gang hangout, then beat the slaggers with a heavy pipe when they ran out. In that part of their district, too, there were no gangs.
He glanced at Prowl. "Tell the magistrate to strike this one's name off the morning hearing list. I am invoking full martial law on this one. He is to stay here without contact by anyone until we have the information we need about the threat he and his comrades present," he said. He looked at the mech who was showing concern right away. "I am the Prime of Cybertron, the bearer of the Matrix of Leadership, the Autobot Creation Matrix. I am the First Disciple of Primus, His embodiment among The People. It is my solemn duty to protect our people who have suffered greatly from all threats both internal and external as per the First Convocation Foundational documents and the Charter of the Primes. I have the authority to hold you forever."
The mech stood, then walked to the bars. "I have rights. I have the right to be represented, to be tried and face punishment. You can't keep me here like this."
"Listen and understand," Prowl said with irritation. "We are under modified martial law for now. The authority he holds allows it. Invoking full martial law means he can disappear you forever. You really should keep up."
He glanced from Prowl, to Ratchet, then Prime. "How are you better than Sentinel Prime?" he asked bitterly.
"Oh, he is," Prowl said as he stepped closer, his offense making his voice glacial. "Sentinel would take you out back and shoot you."
It was tense for a moment, then Prime stepped closer. "Tell me what I need to ensure the peace or stay here. Your choice."
The mech stared at him, then walked to the bench to sit. He stared with defiance, so Prime stepped back without a word to walk to the door down the cell block. Prowl followed him.
Ratchet and the kid watched them leave the room, then Ratchet turned to the kid. "We know about you. We know that you're part of a gang that's led by the daughter of a queen. We know that you're in a road rage gang. That probably explains fighting with Barricade and Scorponok. Old grudges between old gangs. That won't be allowed anywhere in the Empire and you should know that by now. Tell us what you know to help us protect everyone. They've suffered enough."
The kid stared at Ratchet, then looked away.
Ratchet sighed, remembering a tough kid who didn't 'snitch' either when he was a youngling dumb ass. "You need to think about it. We have no more time for gangs. They were a cowardly lot on Cybertron and they still are here. You won't be allowed to operate in this colony or the Empire and stay out of prison." Ratchet stared at the kid, then walked to the door. He exited, then walked to Prowl and Prime standing down the hallway. "Didn't get slag."
"I did not expect it," Prime said almost wearily. Then he felt rage fill him. "I will not become what they were during the Clampdown but he's dangerous to the peace. I need to meet with the Empress."
"I'll arrange it," Prowl said. "We have a mission review in a few minutes. Maybe we better head back."
The three walked out of the block, then took a train back to The Fortress. They would arrive just before the Tactical Mission Team arrived. All of them would gather in the conference room to plan, review and discuss what to do about Polity.
=0=Polity
They found a good system with a lot of broken rocks and debris to slow down anyone coming into it until they could muster a defense. There were barren words for settlement and he planned to dig in. A few joors before, a scout had told them that energon was to be had floating in space but it meant entering the outlined sphere of Prime's influence. As he and his second discussed it over breakfast, they decided to take the chance. If Prime intervened, they would get intel about battle group configuration, Prime's ability to field swiftly, or not, and other considerations for his future planning.
If Prime didn't, then he was a blowhard who was bluffing.
Either way, Polity would have more of an idea of the situation than he had now. Did Prime have the Allspark like rumor suggested? Did he really have that many titans at his beck and call? The word on them was that the war had decimated them. If he had even a handful, then that was false. That he said he had hundreds, even thousands beggared belief.
It would be good to have a capable opponent. A capable foe was few and far between for Polity. They would dig in, start to build a really refined base with amenities, then put out the call for recruits. If the story about the Seekers being slated for extermination and that they'd defected to Prime was true, then he would have to devise his strategies carefully.
He walked out of the conference room with his second with a spring in his step. Having worthy prey was worth its weight in gold to him.
=0=Going over slag
"That is a sound plan," Prime said.
All of the district commanders were with him in the room along with everyone else including Jetta. He had come to help because he was Jetta. It was silent a moment as they thought over the goals and objectives.
Then Starscream glanced at Prime. "We will need intel. We need to do fast flyovers, ins and outs. That will help us build the picture of him, his fleet and base. I'm sure he's dug in and ready to recruit. I would in his place."
Everyone nodded.
"I don't want anyone captured or killed," Prowl said. "He knows we have Seekers and he won't be sparing in his response."
"Then maybe we use another tactic," Ratchet said.
Everyone glanced at him.
He grinned. "Listen to this possibility." Then he explained it.
It was a go.
=0=After the meeting
They gathered in the bridge room to go back to Cybertron. After a bunch of bitching and ragging on each other, they walked out with Ironhide and a pensive Rockwell. Ratchet followed, heading toward Gliese as Wheeljack and Perceptor bridged out to do an inspection and update on the various planets moved to various places through their inventive abilities.
In the Ops Center, Prowl worked at his usual stuff including contacting a number of individuals to come in for a planning meeting. They would be the ones who would get the intel for everyone to build the enemy picture up.
Prime, on the other hand, was in his office working through his own pile of slag. Gangs were on his processor along with a million other details. At least they were for a while. They were until Halo decided to dance for him on his desk top where she was sitting with her dollies and little toys.
=0=TBC 5-19-2020