The Diego Diaries: Cloudy (dd7 391)
=0=On the Prison Airfield
It was then that Chromia threw a punch. With her servos gripped together in her bonds, she swung her arms almost faster than could be seen, aiming at Gee-Gee's helm. Almost faster than could be seen, Gee-Gee blocked the shot, punched her in the chassis and dropped the big femme to her knees.
Gee-Gee stepped back to wait. "I have a lot of those, many types and styles, femme. Tell me what you prefer."
Chromia looked up at Gee-Gee with hatred on her beautiful face. "You and me in a fair fight."
"It wouldn't be fair. I would obliterate you." Gee-Gee glanced at Orion and Prowl. "We have them. Thanks."
"Thank you, Warden," Prowl said as he stepped back for the riot squad to take them to the Prison. "We'll leave them to you then."
"Consider it done, Prowl." Gee-Gee then ordered her squad in place as the group began to march off.
Everyone watched them go, then Six Shot turned to Prime. "Megatron sends his respects and thanks for taking them off our hands, Lord Optimus."
"Tell Lord Megatronus it is our honor to help friends in need," Orion said.
Six Shot grinned slightly, then bowed his helm. "I will," he said, then looked at the others. "Until next time," he said, then the group turned to go. They walked to their ship, boarded and it flew off into the sky heading for Tennyson and home.
They watched it go, then Prowl turned to Orion. "You did that very well. Thank you."
Orion nodded. "I would like to do more, as much as I can. Some of this feels faintly … familiar."
Ironhide nodded. "Me, too," he said.
Prowl considered that. "We have some things that require your attendance, Orion, that are on a time schedule but I'm not sure ..."
"What? The hearings for the Wheelus slaggers and the others ? I know Larken of Galaxy Industries is coming up. I got a summons for an interview from the Prosecutor's Office yesterday. I saw them scheduled on the Senior Autobot information listings." Ratchet asked. "Preliminary hearings can't be that hard can they?"
"Only in your world, Loon," Prowl said. He glanced at Orion critically, then made a decision. "If you let me give you the words and procedures … the cases are in your legal files in the computer on your desk. If you read them through, then read what I send you about them and what they are and did, then maybe. The problem is they have a scheduling now in its final extended period and we can't put it off anymore without risking release deadlines. Ordinarily, I'd drag them out and shoot them but you have other ideas," Prowl said as he grinned faintly at Orion. "This is not like Cybertron under The System as you say constantly."
Orion glanced at the others, then Prowl. "I would like to do this. I can read the material and with your assistance we can keep to what the schedule was as best we can."
Prowl glanced at Ratchet. "I'm going to regret this, right?"
Ratchet gave him a dazzling smile.
After the snickering died down, the group walked back toward The City and a preliminary hearing for Karyll Wheelus, a few of his party and the owner of Galaxy Industries, the one and only Larken himself. Others of Wheelus and Larken's families would be charged as well and their petitions would be placed into the docket including a number of board members of the sprawling octopoidal conglomeration. That one of its tentacles had scored a prestige operation such as RTR Tools wasn't surprising. Ratchet and his family would be testifying at trial about that.
=0=Elsewhere
He sat in a bar nursing a drink. His shanix worked here but was considered very old fashioned. The bartender had suggested that he get it exchanged at a local shop nearby so he could have 'smooth sailing'. He nodded but wasn't interested in such a thing as he sat in the corner watching individuals come, sit together to laugh or drink alone.
It wasn't a dive bar. It had come to his mind that those were probably thin on the ground. This Cybertron has gone through war, that was clear from the flyover, but he was stumped to understand what had happened given the damage appeared to be strategic rather than nihilistic. All of the banners, flags, civic markers and even the tattoos on the mechs and femmes were a strange sight. They were a blend of both Autobot and Decepticon sigils and colors.
Strange.
He drank his beer, then resolved to find a hotel and figure out what was going on here. It might be a good place to linger until things died down back in his home dimension. Prime would be an easier target if he wasn't on alert.
He didn't need, want or like easy targets but he also like seeing the lights go out when he killed someone so he'd have to be close. He would lay over here, have some fun, then leave.
The afternoon would wear on.
=0=Noon at the Courthouse, courtroom #18
Prime sat on a couch in a small comfortable space just off the courtroom. Apparently, it was for him to use during federal cases or those requiring special conditions, most obviously Primal Hearings with Special Circumstances. Even the idea of it chilled him a little but he hid his feelings. Prowl was catching on to his manners and mannerisms so it was harder to fool or conceal from him just about anything.
"Essentially, that's how it works. Both sides gives information, both sides try to shoot each other in the face metaphorically speaking and get the best deal they can for their clients," Prowl was saying. "The prosecutor is the senior one, Coln-2 and the lawyers for the slaggers will be various, all of them infamously good."
Orion nodded. "Alright. So I can ask questions, solve issues and listen."
Prowl nodded. "I'll be linked up to you through the entire operation."
"That is comforting," Orion replied.
"You don't have to do this. You can appoint a hearing officer and plead workload," Prowl replied. "I can do this for you and appoint a clerk to take my place."
"No," Orion said. "This is my duty and I will have it done. I have read everything related and all of the files you gave to me. I remember Wheelus and his group, the Faction. They had a lot to do with the problems I was facing to resolve."
"Well, its like the humans say. 'Paybacks are a bitch'," Prowl replied as he stood. "Show time." He stared at Orion a moment. "Go out there and be a Prime. You were born to do this. I believe in you."
Orion stared at him, then stroked his face gently. "I will do my best."
Prowl grinned faintly. "Whenever have you not?" he asked, then walked to the door. He held it open for Orion then followed him to the courtroom door. "I'll go in first, then call you."
Orion nodded, then watched as Prowl entered the courtroom beyond. The door closed quietly. It was an odd sensation of lose and loneliness that came over him a moment, then fled. Everything he had tried to do to stop war and improve the planet had failed. He resolved not to fail now. When Prowl signaled him to come, Orion did. The door also closed quietly behind him.
=0=Inside
Ironhide sat between his Uncle Sun and Uncle Jack. Ratchet wasn't here because he was a victim of some of the defendants and therefore a witness. Orion had walked in looking majestic and primal. He had sat down as Prowl organized everything. To Ironhide, Orion looked extremely convincing.
Everyone had stood, then sat after Orion did. There were several lawyers, a few technical supporters of the process and a few of the committee councilors who didn't have a role in the trial but were curious observers. There were also a number of reporters from this and that organization.
Prowl stood. "We're gathered here to go over motions and other matters related to the trial of the defendants for serious crimes. It's the will of the court that you deport yourself properly. Right now, we will take the motions of the defense for the accused, Karyll Wheelus, his son, Senator Kamdan, Stem and Baryl Wheelus, bonds of Karyll Wheelus and finally, Larken of Iacon. Then we'll hear from the prosecution. The Prime may make rulings here in court or he may study them to give rulings later. He has that right. All here will deport themselves properly or face eviction." He glanced at Prime, then nodded.
"Very well. Let us begin," Orion said like he was his older self. He sat back to listen with a direct line to Prowl active between them.
Hendrix of Park City stood for Karyll Wheelus and his family. "Lord Optimus, we have a request that the trials be separated for my clients. We feel it would serve the course of justice much better to have them apart. We would also like to introduce to the court motions for dismissal given the length of time it has taken to arrive at this moment. The constitutional law which is the basis of Cybertronian jurisprudence gives the accused the right to a timely trial. My client has been held in prison along with his son and bonds since June 16, 2016 on the dual calendar without recourse to this moment, more than four years.
"We've asked for speedier trial dates to be set but were informed that this wasn't possible. The laws are very specific. My clients were charged but held without trial past the date in which they should've expected one. That alone is reason to dismiss and free them from this farcical nonsense."
"Mr. Hendrix, I have gone over the files on this case for each of the defendants. There is nothing farcical about these proceedings," Orion said almost without thinking.
Hendrix glanced up from his data pad, then shifted. "I'm not implying, Lord Optimus, that this trial is farcical. I'm saying that the system which prevents speedy trials is denying rights to the accused."
"So noted," Orion said as he began to relax into this, verbal sparring with high castes and those in positions of great power. This part of the new paradigm he was gifted to strive against and already had. He had the bruises and rap sheet to prove it. It was like Cybertron before he came here minus police brutality and jailings.
Prowl who was listening and watching like a hawk said nothing. It had surprised him that Orion had stood up to the lawyer, surprised and gratified him.
Hendrix stared at Prime a moment, then his data pad. "We would like a ruling on the speedy trial motion, the one separating the groups into different trials as well as several we've submitted involving evidence, witnesses supplied from the Attorney General's office and the brutality involved in the arrest during the arrival with the migration they were a part of."
Orion had read them and they appeared to him to be maneuvers that held no substance. He considered his options as he had studied all the case law applying to this event. Prowl turned to look at him but Orion began to speak. "I will approve of the request to divide the trials. I do not approve release. Circumstances of great import made a trial of this nature impossible until now. Sometimes events trespass upon our rules and laws without our ability to make that right but these defendants are alleged to have committed offenses that rise to the level of a Primal Hearing with Special Circumstances.
"If the defendants are released for these reasons, I will instruct the police to arrest them again because of the enormity of the charges and their wide ranging effects. These are serious and they will be heard. We will embrace every attempt to make this fair and if you have further concerns my door and the appeal process are open. The other motions I will take under advisement and report to you by the end of the orn."
He sat back almost shocked by his statement. It seemed to him like someone else was speaking for him, it felt so natural to make these remarks. He glanced at Prowl who was watching him. Then Prowl gave a small nod before turning back to the proceedings. Apparently he'd passed muster. It was almost a sickening feeling of relief that he had. Orion Pax then bent his vast intellect and faint memories of a life he had yet to live to the task before him.
=0=TBC 9-28-2020 10-24-2020