NOTE: I have a phone that has auto correct which I think was invented by Satan. :D If you want to laugh until you pass out go to damn you auto correct dot com and laugh intensely for hours. Consider it my Christmas Surprise present to you. :D :D :D (Close the spaces in the addie)
=0=Now back to the story
The Diego Diaries: Santa Ho-Ho 1
-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars a joor later
They gathered around the center table, councilors, senior Autobots, crew and other members of the deception. They waited as Prime and Prowl stood over the intelligence station watching Jazz for a moment. He had pulled up two promising files and had begun the decryption. As the data began to run, it began to formulate glyphs that spoke of the underground data constructions of Iacon. The system of computerization as laid down by the Decepticons was fully illustrated with all the possibilities for hacking laid bare. Jazz looked up at Prime and grinned. "Score," he said with a smile.
Prime nodded, his relief intense. Turning to the others, he smiled. "We have data," he said.
The sound of laughter, cheers and clapping filled the space as everyone finally relaxed. Servos were shaken, backs and shoulders were slapped and the pall of the past few orns was shaken off. Prime walked to the table and everyone turned to him. "We have gotten a chance to find our missing people. We all worked hard on this project and there are no thanks from me to you that are adequate. The hope for a lot of our people, for Cybertron itself is owed to you." He looked at Silverclaw. "You did well, my friend."
Silverclaw standing between Thundercracker and Starscream nodded his helm in respect. "I am humbled at your praise. I would do what it takes to save our people and to advance your cause, Prime. We are all on a long road together. We are unconquerable in unity."
"Until all are one, Prime," Starscream said with a smirk.
"Until all are one," everyone said together.
Prime nodded, his emotions filling him with gratitude. "Thank you. Until all are one." He glanced at the group before him taking in the images of their faces, then he nodded. "Time for Christmas Surprise and time for celebration," he said.
They nodded and relaxed, jokes, laughter and chatter filled the space where tension had lived. Turning, nodding to the senior leadership, the group began to break up heading out for the two orns of Christmas Surprise. Starscream pausing to watch turned to Prime. "I found that entire experience personally edifying, Prime. I salute you."
Prime grinned and nodded. "So did I, Starscream."
Starscream grinned and turned walking with Silverclaw and Thundercracker toward the door and the festivities beyond. Prowl squeezed Prime's arm. "I'm glad this is over. We can add the data to our ever long list of slag to complete in due time."
Prime snorted and nodded. "Indeed. Now is time for celebration in more ways than one," he said.
The others nodded in agreement.
-0-A joor or two before
"Well, that's a wrap then."
The words were delivered with a grin and as soon as they were everyone seemed to relax. It was as if a play had finished and the director had called for the curtain. Shockwave looked at Prime, his confusion evident even on a face without features such as his. The councilors leaned back, some of them rising, all of them smiling with relief. They stood and turned to go out of their high rise alcoves as if the session was called complete.
Lights came up, the darkness was illuminated and it was clear that the chamber was different than it seemed to be in the darkness. The massive passages that led back into the interior of the High Councilor building on Cybertron appeared to be missing here. They dead ended, the darkness concealing their lack of depth. Standing among those illuminated were others besides Silverclaw, Ratchet, Blackjack, Perceptor and Wheeljack. The benches filled with petitioners were empty, only filled a small amount of the space they occupied in the real Chamber and were easily seen to be temporary, rather than part of the original wall design.
He glanced upward and saw a lighting system that appeared to be that of a production studio design. The lights of the High Council Chamber on Cybertron were built into the ceiling itself. Looking about himself with gathering alarm, he could see any number of differences including as he fully turned around a sound booth filled with different individuals including a smirking Thundercracker and Starscream. He spun around, his optic flaring as he stared at Prime. Drift, Springer, Kup and Ironhide stepped forward from different directions surrounding him. "What is the meaning of this, Prime?" he asked, his tone filled with an edgy dread and outrage.
Prime stared at him with a smile. "This is paybacks, Shockwave. This is justice hitting you full on in the face. This is some small part of the price you pay for what you have done. This is checkmate," Prime said as he moved closer, his own outrage clear on his face. "You have been played."
Shockwave listened to Prime, the greater meaning resonating even as the local colloquialisms didn't. He knew what Prime was saying. It hit him like a full on missile strike from a brace of Seekers. He stared at Prime, then lunged. Optimus raised his servos and braced Shockwave's chassis as the security detail around him grabbed his arms dragging him back. Prime pushed him back and the group grabbed him holding Shockwave as he struggled in rage. Prime leaned in closely. "You're going back to the box, Shockwave. Hope Megatron never finds out what you did because if he asks me, I will tell him." He looked at the crew as Blackjack joined them. "Take him back to the cooler, 'Jack."
Blackjack nodded and turned toward Ratchet who was kneeling with Perceptor over the server. "We have to move, Ratchet."
Ratchet nodded and rose following the group as they dragged a struggling Shockwave toward the door. Ratchet followed them outside and watched as they winched him down on a flatbed. He struggled, then lay still after Ratchet off lined his sensory mechanisms. It was a slow walk to the Fortress, Prime following behind deep in conversation with Starscream. The road was still closed so when they paused and lifted him off the truck, no one was there to watch and feel any anxiety.
Prime passed them and they followed, Shockwave walking in the middle of guards, Drift and Springer holding him tightly by his arms. His affect was seething and the ferocity of it made his aura surge. They walked through the empty rec room and took the elevator downward to the corridor that led one way to the armory, the other to punitive stasis. They walked down the corridor and into the large stone room where his pod still stood open.
Prime nodded to Ratchet. "Let him hear me, Ratchet."
Ratchet nodded and dialed in Shockwave's audials. Shockwave tensed. pausing to listen.
"Shockwave, you were placed in punitive stasis as an alternative to giving you to the humans for crimes you and your faction committed against their sovereignty and populations. It was the only way to keep you from being taken apart and studied by them. Because of those crimes and others you have committed against the people and planet of Cybertron, I am sentencing you to stasis lock until it is possible for you to stand trial on Cybertron for what you have done to our world and her citizens. The only other alternative for us is to kill you and I won't allow it without due process presenting you guilty based on the evidence and a fair trial." He nodded to Ratchet who off lined his audials and dialed down his ability to resist security as they moved him back to the pod.
He leaned away from it but he hadn't the strength or coordination to resist. He was placed inside and strapped down once again. Ratchet worked out the process of his stasis and pulled the necessary parts back out of his chassis. He off lined, the lines for his preservation linked in and the pod slid shut. Ratchet keyed in the code to release him and they all walked out into the corridor so that Prime and Prime alone could set the lock on the giant steel doors. When it was all done, they turned and grimly walked out of the corridor back up into the light and the world of friends and family above ground.
-0-In the world of joy
The roadblocks came down and the city began to emerge fully once more. Ratchet and Ironhide stepped off the elevator and walked down the corridor to their apartment. Inside taking care of the hoodlums, Ravel and Tie Down waited. Sunspot was drawing pictures on the table and the toddlers were playing with blocks by the window. They all looked up and smiled. "ADA! ATAR! COME ME!" Orion said as he stood up and rushed over gripping Ironhide's leg in his little arms. Praxus joined him and they stood smiling upward at their atar as he looked down at them with abject adoration.
"They were good, Ada," Sunspot said. "Grandada and Grandatar are so good with them."
Ratchet grinned. "They had lots of practice with hoodlums. Do you have your little speech for the program, Sunspot?"
"I do. I left it on your berth so you could spell check it," he said grinning.
Ratchet nodded and grinned. "If you all ate, I think its time for you to go to school for your party and Santa Prime. Its about that time isn't it, Ironhide?"
He paused to check his internal timer and appointment book, then nodded. "It is," he said scooping up the infants. "We all better get a leg on."
Rising, gathering the infants together, the group stepped out to leave. As they did, Alor and Blackjack exited their apartment too and they all walked onward to the schools.
-0-At the Prime Residence
They gathered up everyone including a freshly washed Miracle. Venture had the little mechs, Miler had Miracle, Prowl had the little bag with the Santa Prime gear and Prime had a big grin. They walked out and made their way down heading for the schools first, then the Vos Senior Center for all infants that weren't in school yet as the next stop. There were also gifts for the elders made by students at the school. But that was a big secret.
-0-At the schools
The flood of students, genitors, related friends and family was vast as they entered and dispersed throughout the school system. Optimus stood with Prowl to one side as the logistics of Santa Prime was worked out. He was going to sit on a 'Santa Throne' in the lobby of the building and students would come down to meet him by class. Rather than going from room to room which were already filled with genitors and such, he would wait for them to come to him.
As he did, the segways of nearly all the humans on Mars entered and pulled up to one side. A platform from a number of low tables had been made and they took to it, especially the soldiers, their families and the soldier femmes. The scientists who were new to this joined them along with film crews who were not going to take images of Prime but of everything else. It was going to be awesome.
Prime turned and walked to his chair, a huge grin on his face. Jazz and Ironhide sulking (not) in their elf hats stood by him as he sat down, his Santa hat firmly on his helm. Pallets of presents were stacked to the ceiling with more outside waiting to be carried in. Teamsters and Construction union mechs, big and ultra content to help would do the honors of managing and handing gifts to Santa Prime in their own green elf hats.
IntraComm was filming and cameras all over town were feeding the live action into the control center at IntraComm who would broadcast as well as archive it. Prime sat trading barbs with Jazz and Ironhide as Prowl, Ratchet and the genitors of both families took pictures, their astonishment and happiness evident on their faces.
"Why do you wear that green hat, Ironhide?" Blackjack asked with a grin.
Ironhide looked at his atar and smirked slightly. "Because I'm a slagging elf."
Blackjack surfed the answer to that and snorted. "I can see that," he said to general hilarity all around. As they traded barbs, the first group of younglings came into the room in a line.
General Morshower and his wife stood with Colonel Fulton and his among the group of humans watching with grins. :Did you know that there is a football game tomorrow?: Fulton asked Morshower. Morshower glanced at him. :I bet large on Kaon. Some sucker in the Pentagon actually believes Vos can beat the twins:
Fulton snorted. :Fools: Morshower nodded and they both looked back at the fun.
Flashes went off, applause was given and the younglings, many of them new to this holiday watched with intensity as their Prime prepared to be Santa for them. They came up one at a time and took a shiny bagged gift from Santa Prime. Some of them completely overcome by the awesomeness of the moment were shy while others hugged him tightly, their delight overwhelming. Some of them had never received a present before this moment.
One by one, they came forward. One by one, they received a gift from the city. It contained an appropriate toy, a bag of cookies and candy and a card just for them. All of the presents had been prepared by the Art Guild over a period of decaorns in consultation with the schools. All of them were personalized for each student including the card inside. There were art supplies, toys for play, electronic games and devices for older younglings as well as baby dollies and wooden and metallic toys for younger infants.
When the first group left, Tie and Ravel watched them go. "Oh Ratchet," Ravel said turning to his son. "This is so wonderful. This is just wonderful. I wish there had been something like this for you when you were little. We never were able to give you much of anything for holidays."
Ratchet enveloped his genitors hugging them. "You gave me everything I ever needed," he said with emotion.
They hugged him back.
-0-Upstairs in Terradive's class as well as every other classroom in the schools
The infants sat with barely contained excitement as the room genitors under the guidance of Sunstreaker organized treats and drinks. They were going to have Christmas Surprise stories read in a moment, then they would go downstairs to visit Santa Prime. The stories were new ones written by local authors and were debuting in the schools for the first time.
Sunspot sat next to Silverbow, his excitement evident. "What do you think Santa Prime will give you, Silverbow?"
"I want to have a new dollie," she said. "My teddy bear needs a friend. I also want to have a truck like the format my ada makes."
"Jeeps are nice," Sunspot said nodding.
"I like jeeps," Turbo said glancing across the table at his two best friends. Spirit nodded. "Jeeps are nice but I like Peterbilt trucks."
"With red flames?" Comet asked with a grin.
Spirit nodded with a smile. "Those are the best."
They sat back as two of the room genitors began to place plates filled with treats and little decorated cubes filled with 'punch' down on the table before each one.
Sunstreaker who was stacking plates glanced at his brother and grinned. This was a slagging awesome orn. When he got to Kaon and the girls' party, he would stay with them. All of the family on both sides were divided among all the babies for the duration. All of their infants would have family attention during their parties.
It was slagging awesome.
-0-Ironhide
Ironhide watched Ratchet who stood nearby with a camera and Hero in his arms. He had ordered and gotten a little Christmas Surprise hat and booties for her, the red and white strikingly attractive against her satiny black paint scheme. He had gotten a Santa hat for Sunspot, Orion and Praxus, the latter two taking some coaxing to wear them. They did and they looked adorable. To Ironhide, his kids were flawless.
Until bath time. And sometimes bed time. And when they decided to play with their food. And when they had to relieve their holds. When they wanted up too early and wouldn't go to bed until late. And when …
=0=TBC
2012 (12) Happy Holidays to one and all!