A/N: Big thanks to Exactlywhat, for the awesome assist in editing! You are a ROCKSTAR!

Transformers Prime: The Ramparts

DATELINE 42075: After a fierce week of fighting, the Autobots have driven the Decepticons from the Mars Colonies. Still Sky Marshall Furman declares it's not enough.

"We must maintain eternal vigilance against the Decepticons if we are to have any hope for peace in the outer colonies!"

Have the Decepticons been fully driven away or are they merely retooling their forces to prepare another strike, and if so where will they strike next?

Cycle 02: Attention to details

The first three weeks of Dizzy's time on the ship Nostromo were spent bouncing around from one department to another. It was the period called Orientation where she was tasked with visiting places like Medical, to drop off her medical records and receive any inoculations she needed. One of these was an inoculation that was exclusive to Autobot Techs; it was a shot that protected them from the effects of dark energon. She didn't know what was in that pink syringe but she did know she only sat on one butt cheek the rest of the day.

Next were the visits to Personnel to make sure her service record was in order. One of the perks about her line of work is she received extra pay called 'Hazardous duty pay' . It was an extra 300 dollars in her pocket each paycheck. There were many safety briefings and classes about what to do and want not to do in a foreign port. The last part of her Ship's Scavenger Hunt was a face to face meeting with the Security officer, the Command master Chief, and the Executive and Commanding officers. Finally on the third Monday since she arrived she was ready to work in the Autobot Medical bay.

Dizzy ate her breakfast quickly and left the mess hall, eager to start her job. She made it the Med Bay in record time and she didn't even get lost. She walked into her office space and saw most of the Ramparts were there already. Some were in idle chit chat while others helped themselves to the stale doughnuts and hot coffee sitting on the far table.

"Hey Kid!" Baker smiled as he beckoned her over "Why don't you get some coffee here. "

"Oh thanks, but I'm not much of a coffee drinker." She announced to a chorus of silent chuckles and awkward glances.

"What?" Dizzy asked as she felt like she let out a rancid fart.

"Kid, you're gonna learn sooner or later that coffee and doughnuts are your friends here." Baker said.

Dizzy sighed silently and went to the coffee maker to pour herself a cup, She then began to pour creamer and Sweetener into it. Then she noticed that even that had attracted weird glares. She gulped as she realized she may have made another social faux paux.

"Most of us here drink it straight. " Baker said as bit into a glazed doughnut.

Morning muster started off when Cardinal entered the room, Dizzy sat at the one of the six tables placed about the room in a neat two by two formation. She shared a spot with Baker, Esther read aloud the roll call. With everyone present and accounted for, Cardinal began his morning briefing.

"First off, I want to welcome AT3 Fuentes to our happy crew, please make sure to show her the ropes. I spoke to the supply officer about seeing if we can get more of the Phase 3 Hydro Spanners. They are going to weigh against the cost to see if it's worth an Autobot's ability to transform smoothly. Until then we will still use the Hypo Grease when a Bot comes in for reinsulating. "Cardinal spoke as he halfway sat on the desk at the front of the room "Widget, It's your turn to accompany the Ariealbots on their field exercise tomorrow I want you to take Dizzy and get her feet wet."

"Whoa wait, does she have her equipment yet?" Widget asked halfway flabbergasted.

"She will have her gear, as soon as Baker and Twitch taker her to Supply." Cardinal assured her.

"Does she know how to use it?" Widget asked in a biting tone.

"I just graduated Tech School I think I know my way around a Hyper Gauntlet," Dizzy defended.

Widget looked at her with zero confidence, said " I wasn't talking to you!" and then turned her attention back to Cardinal .

"Again that's where you come in Widget, You show her the ropes, just like someone did when you first started…" Cardinal said in a calm and strong tone that seemed to immediately change Widget's mind.

Dizzy hadn't seen or talk much to Widget, Her real name was Park Hyun-Ae. She was a native of Korea. Having lived most of her life between Seattle and Seoul, Widget had the better of two worlds. Among the techs here she had the widest knowledge of the tools the tech used in their jobs. She had short cropped hair that was cut just below her ears. She wore pencil thin black framed glasses and from what Dizzy could tell had the warmth of a Wildebeest with half its legs missing.

With morning muster over, Baker and Twitch took Dizzy across the ship to Supply. To any Autobot Tech they had three valuable pieces of equipment. The first was a specialized set of gauntlets; they covered the forearms to the hands. They were made with a synthesized form of rubber that quickly fitted to the user's hands. This process called bonding was vital to the Autobot tech, as it even registered the user's fingerprints. If someone tried to use it, the gauntlets computer would see the wrong set of prints and deactivate.

The Computer in each of the gauntlets, were the most advanced all-purpose mini computers in use by the Navy today. The computer had a holographic display and held diagnostic information of over 100 Autobots. It could also interface with an Autobots computer processors, and to an extent they could manage an Autobots system. The gauntlet itself was important in diagnosing and administering the proper care for the Autobot. The gauntlet could also fire a beam of electromagnetic energy that could latch on to any metal surface. This was used in conjunction with the second piece of equipment used by the tech.

They were specialized Magnetic boots, which could be activated by a simple command either from the gauntlet or by a simple tap of the boots. The Autobot tech would use the grapple beam and magnetic boots to climb the standing Autobot to perform whatever maintance was necessary.

The last piece of equipment Dizzy would receive today was her side bag which held her specialize tools. They were scaled down tools like Hydro spanners, Cold torches, Sonic Screwdrivers, and other odds and ends the Autobot Techs used.

"Just wait till you get bonded with your gauntlets, it's quite the feeling!" Baker said fondly.

"Of course make sure your palms aren't sweaty "Twitch warned, "You won't get a proper bond and if that happens you may get a nasty jolt when you use the Energon fuser!"

Dizzy gulped at that last statement; she knew if she got zapped by a wayward Energon pulse on any part of her body it would go numb for a week. They arrived at the supply department and took her to the last station at the end of the compartment.

"Milo!" Baker yelled "Milo you there?"

From the back of the cages came thin face Army supply specialist. He had a slightly protruding Adam's apple and black hair that was grease back with some kind of hair product. He looked like he had just woken up from a nap with the sleepy look in his eyes.

"Oh hey!, Ramparts!" He greeted "What can I do you for?"

We need you to hook our girl up with her gear!" Baker announced.

Milo nodded and gave an open mouth smile. "Ah ok, I'll be right back." He said as he took the requisite from Baker that had Dizzy's stats like hand and shoe size.

He soon returned with a set of computer gauntlets, boots, and a bag with tools already placed inside. Milo took the gauntlets and turned toward Dizzy. The gloves were stretched out as he slipped them over her hands and arms. He fastened the back strap of the gauntlet to the crook of each arm.

"Ok now I need you to drop your hands by your side." He said as Dizzy obeyed. He pressed a key command on each of the display screen.

"Ok, this might sting a bit "he said. Dizzy felt a slight jolt as the glove snapped into place around her fingers, she closed her hands and then wiggled her fingers as the glove made its final adjustments to her form of her hand.

"How does it feel?" Milo asked.

Dizzy raised her eyebrows" Fits like a glove!"

Milo nodded and was pleased with the bonding. He went through with Dizzy the basic commands of each of the gauntlets computer systems. They were basic command like how to bring up the holoscreen and how to use the different scanners. With all that covered Milo knew it was time for the final test as Twitch got his camera phone ready.

"Ok these Gauntlets have a new feature we need to test out." Milo said as he took four paces away from Dizzy and pulled his pistol from his holster. Dizzy's eyes went wide as she saw him point the pistol at point blank range of her head. She shrieked as her hands covered her face, she heard the pistol fire several deadly energy bolts at her, bolts that were absorbed by the gauntlets shield bubble that formed around her. Dizzy could hear Baker and twitch chuckle and she trembled in fear and shock. Milo calmly put the pistol back in his holster and checked the gauntlets.

"Yeah, it works…" He said softly.

With her gear check done, they led her back to the Autobot Med Bay where the Aerialbots had arrived for routine maintenance. Dizzy looked on in awe as Widget and Esther used the grapple beam to hoist themselves up onto their patient's shoulders. They moved all over the enormous Autobots with ease and they checked components and added grease to whatever joints needed them.

"Ok kid!, Time to shine! You get Silverbolt!" Twitch said as he gave her a playful smack on the rear. Dizzy responded with a dirty look as she made her way to the station where Silverbolt was awaiting a routine maintenance check.

Dizzy had heard about Silverbolt through the various news tickers around New Iacon. He was the reluctant leader of the Aerialbots. Unlike his other teammates, Silverbolt was more reserved and quiet in his actions. He also had a fear of heights, with him transforming into a plane add that to a laundry list of stress factors when your leader of a Combiner team. He was also a known stick in the mud and very set in his ways as Dizzy soon found out.

Silverbolt looked down at Dizzy "You're new here.." He observed.

"Yep, I'm the new kid!" Dizzy smiled as she checked his chart, and then brought up his schematics on her gauntlet computer.

"Well normally I like it if Widget or Elora is handling me thank you very much." He said with little regard to Dizzy's abilities.

"Silver, now c'mon! " Baker jumped in "We need to make sure she's housetrained properly, command wouldn't have sent her here if they didn't think she wasn't qualified. Just give her a chance ok?"

"Pets are normally housetrained " Silverbolt computed " Are you worried she's going to urinate on the floor?" Most of the Ramparts chuckled loudly as Dizzy's ears turned red in embarrassment. Five minutes into her new job and already she felt like a poodle.

"I use the 30/40 grease so you know; I'm not a fan of the 50/60 grease." He said as Dizzy nodded. She looked around her work station for the grease gun and the right tube of grease.

"Bottom drawer…" Silverbolt said rolling his optics.

Dizzy gulped as her hands shook slightly. This was her first bot to work on since the simulations back at school. The only difference was there wasn't a happy go lucky Hoist cheering her on step by step.

Dizzy at least knew she had to start top to bottom when it came to greasing an Autobot's gears. She checked her magnetized boots to make sure they were on and she pointed her right gauntlet at the right shoulder of Silverbolt. He waited patiently as she took a few minutes to decide on a good spot to aim the magnetic grapple. She fired the light blue beam as it caught Silverbolt on the shoulder. She had a about to half a second to enjoy the shot before the grapple quickly jerked her up and in a flash she shot up at Silverbolt. One second she was on the ground the next moment she found herself launched like a dart as she slammed face first in his Autobot symbol.

"Ah Dizzy I'm sorry!" Baker apologized "I forgot to tell you the magnetic beams we use have a bit of a kick to them." he said looking up at her. He wasn't sure if she heard him as she dangled like a rag doll from Silverbolts shoulder.

Silverbolt poked the unconscious Autobot Tech " Yoo hoo? You ok?"

Dizzy opened her eye as she saw the faces of Ramparts looking over her. Gradually the mental fog lifted from her and she could hear Baker calling her name

"Dizzy!, Dizzy! Hey Dizzy do you hear me?" he yelled.

"Man did that hurt?" Twitched asked as he replayed the accident he captured on his camera phone for the other Ramparts " It looked like it hurt!"

Dizzy sat up slowly as the entire right side of her face was red with the partial indentation mark of the Autobot symbol prominently on display. Widget saw the entire accident with Dizzy and grumbled something in Korean as she tightened some lugnuts on Slingshot's neck. Dizzy managed to complete the rest of the day without incident, but several of the Ramparts began to call her Lawn Dart, as she looked like one when she face planted into Silverbolt's chest.

At final hour of the work day was when the Ramparts took the time for physical calisthenics. They were held in the Hangar where the Autobots hung out and played their basketball games. It mainly consisted of regular exercises led by Cardinal, and then they took off for a few laps around the hangar. When the run was over the Ramparts split apart to do whatever more exercises they felt like before chow started.

Dizzy looked to see Baker and Cardinal head for the weight lifting machines, While Esther pulled up a book on her holoscreen on her ipod and began her run on the treadmill. She saw Widget and a group of other service men practicing some kind of mix martial art. Dizzy felt a tap on her shoulder as she looked to see it was Twitch.

"You look lonely, C'mon why don't you play some B-ball with us!" he said as he took her by the arm. As they walked to the rear of the hangar, Dizzy's attention focused on one of the corners. There was a large green Autobot, what set him apart to Dizzy was his leg was leaned at an angle she knew wasn't normal. From her first assumption he looked 'tired' to her, and there was an aura of sadness about him. Twitch noticed her steps had slowed. His gaze turned to what had her attention.

"Yeah, that's Bulkhead. Trust me, you want to leave him alone. He only lets Cardinal near him. He refuses to let anyone but him work on him. "Twitch said

"He doesn't look ok." Dizzy murmured.

"No, he's has a gimp leg, He doesn't fight or go on missions. Arcee has him around as an advisor, but I hear they go way back, I think they served with Optimus. Regardless he's not the most sociable bot here.

"Hey Twitchy!" They heard a voice from the courts call out.

"Cmon, let's see how you are on defense!" Twitch said as he took Dizzy to the basketball courts.

Dizzy wasn't the best basketball player, She figured this out when she was sent to sit on the sidelines after five minutes of playing. She didn't mind, She was content to sit and watch the game while listening to her Ipod. She was switching playlists when Dizzy notice a huge shadow was cast over her. She immediately looked up to see Arcee standing over her.

"Oh! Hello!" Dizzy said as she snapped to a standing position. Arcee smiled and knelt to her level.

"I know that look! You properly aren't the best player they'd had." Arcee said

Dizzy gave a lopsided grin" Yeah, well maybe I should stick to the recumbent bikes from now on."

"So you're the new Rampart, I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to introduce myself earlier. I'm head of the Autobots here, You can call me Arcee." she introduced herself.

"I've heard of you, I'm from New Iacon" Dizzy smiled "I'm Dizzy Fuentes"

"That's an odd name for a human" Arcee pointed out. "It sounds like that name has a story."

"Well I can get distracted easily, but I can also work on a piece of tech so quickly I can make people dizzy by watching me so says my friends" She explained. "Hence the name."

"And New Iacon, I knew of someone with the last name of Fuentes in New Iacon there. Are you related to Antonio Fuentes by chance?" Arcee said.

Dizzy nodded melancholy "Yeah, He is- uh was my dad."

"You're Tony's little girl, Hey I'm sorry I hear he was a great man, Optimus spoke highly of him." Arcee said with a soft look in her optics.

"Thank you." Dizzy smiled " I know if he could see me he would be very proud."

"Well looking forward to seeing you in action, Take care!" Arcee said as she took her leave.

Dizzy looked at the blue Autobot depart and strike up a conversation with Bulkhead. Dizzy bit her lip slightly and brought up her voice memo on her Ipod.

"Dear Diary" She began" Today was my first day and I'm glad it's over. My first time working on a bot and I end up as a lawn dart. But I have my equipment and I will be off on my first field exercise tomorrow. I will go along with a Widget a fellow Rampart, and… Well she isn't the warmest of people right now. Then again it seems everyone is reserved what they think about me for now. I wonder what they know that I don't. I strongly feel the answer will lie with Cardinal. I know I can handle whatever comes my way, no matter how uncertain it may be."

NEXT TIME: It's Dizzy's first time in the field; It will be a trial by fire as a training accident puts men and Autobots in danger. Can Dizzy work with Widget?, Or will Dizzy end up another victim?