The Diego Diaries: Moving On 6
-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars
They sat around the table looking at the roll up map that showed the location of all of their out-of-system obligations. Fort Apache was on line with them now and that entity's data was coming in with every pulse of the communications array system that was their optics out nearly 16 light years. The moving mass of refugees were breaking into four different groups, some of them heading their way faster than the others. Fort Apache would be sending Seeker data collectors and their heavy escorts out later in the orn.
Ironhide sat musing on the data even as he futzed over the gangling medico of his nightmares currently residing in the brig. Prime sat back and looked at Ironhide. "You know, I think we don't take enough notice of the strain war has put on us over the eons."
Ironhide nodded. "That's part of what Ratchet does. He has."
Prime nodded. "It felt good hitting Sentinel. Not just for Prowl but for everything else."
Ironhide nodded. "I know. That mech sure knows how to push the right buttons."
"Well, we can push back," Prime said coldly. "I think they're going to be spending five orns in the brig. Overnighters with on call status."
Ironhide nodded. "I can get Tie and Ravel to help with the younglings. My folks are at the Fort. Not much help there but Flint is off for a couple of orns to assist with us on the rescue. We can count on him."
"Does he have experience with younglings and babies?" Prime asked with a grin.
"No," Ironhide said. "Serves him right."
Prime snorted and grinned. "I'll have Venture and Miler help. Venture mostly. The space bridge will require Miler's assistance. He needs to train a few more mathematicians to help him."
Ironhide nodded. As he did, Springer and Drift wandered in with a data pad. Pausing by the table, the big green and yellow bot grinned. "How is it going in stir?"
"They're going to be there after joors for five orns," Ironhide said.
"Wow. Hard core," Drift said with a grin. "No one gets a pass then."
"Nope," Prime said with a grin. "What's it like out there tonight?"
"We picked up a tagger in Terra," Springer said consulting the data pad. "We have some drunk and disorderly. Other than that, a quiet night. When the new refugees come we're going to have to cover Terra more closely. We have two full shifts ready to come online there. The substations and the remote lock up are just about done. Construction had a few things that came up before they could undertake that part of the development. When do we expect refugees?"
"Two orns for the first group. Tomorrow, I want you to pay close attention to the possiblity that we have hostiles in the mix. They appear to be breaking up as a single mass. The ones in the back could be just running out of umphf but then again, it could be trouble," Prime said.
"What about Soundwave's fort? Are we ready to send spies?" Drift asked.
"We are but things came up and it got re-prioritized. We will discuss it and a couple of other pending items including the Cybertronian missions tomorrow," Prime replied. "How much of the Watch is covering Terra? No one lives out there full time yet. We still have housing here in the city. I expect that the Housing Authority will utilize that before they move anyone out to Terra."
"That's what I heard. We have ten mechs who are splitting the shift between day and night. They're caretaking right now. We will establish a full presence when the refugees start to live there," Springer said.
"Good. I want this to be ultra smooth. We can't determine what kind of refugee we will be getting and if they require special handling we won't be needing anything going wrong here," Prime said.
Springer nodded. He handed the data pad to Drift who walked to the officer of the day to hand over the data. Springer sat down and looked at both mechs. "Ratchet and Prowl were awesome tonight. I knew Prowl could fight but that was amazing. Circuit Su is bad enough but Sentinel should be glad he didn't use Metallikato on his aft."
Ironhide nodded. "I heard you slagged him once yourself."
Springer glanced at Prime with a rueful expression as Drift walked back and sat down. "We had a difference of opinion."
"Over the rescue of Kup," Prime asked with a slight grin.
Springer nodded. "He was different then, harder and less patient. He hated how we all fragged up his plans to win. He even mentioned that he thought you were a slagger now and again, Optimus."
Prime nodded and grinned. "I probably deserved it. I don't think anyone understands how Prowl works. He's deadly serious about winning and not having casualties if he can help it. He factors everything and weights it. Between the two of us, we usually come to a good conclusion but more than once I got the brunt of his temper for disagreeing."
"He has a temper?" Drift asked with a slight smirk. "He's a very controlled mech. That, I really admire. He never goes off the handle. Usually."
"He has the same emotions as the rest of us. He just keeps them under control. 'Logic is the path to peace' he always used to say," Prime said with a nod. "Its to his advantage for others to underestimate or misjudge him. Ask Barricade," Prime said with a grin.
"That mech is a slow learner," Ironhide said. "Prowl is bonded and has a family yet that aft still pushes his luck."
"Some mechs never learn," Prime said.
Springer nodded and rose gazing down at the two slightly forlorn mechs. "Ratchet is a wild aft but one of the bravest and best mechs I know. He and Prowl deserve the benefit of the doubt. They gave up enough to the Cause to get a pass."
"Some might not think so," Ironhide said darkly.
"Magnus," Drift said with a grin.
"Magnus," Ironhide said nodding.
"You're the boss. Be the boss. Tell anyone who thinks otherwise that the missus has your back," Springer said to Prime. They both grinned and Prime nodded. "I'll take it under advisement."
Ironhide and Prime watched as the two turned and walked to the door heading out into the night to do battle with the taggers, braggers and drunks.
"Those two are bonded," Ironhide said glancing at Prime.
"Really?" Prime asked glancing at Ironhide with surprise. "I didn't know."
"I found out before Ratchet. Don't say a word. I want to see how long old mech takes to find out himself," Ironhide said with a grin.
Prime snorted and rose, nodding. "Sounds like a plan. Let's go and relieve the babysitters."
The two turned and walked into the rec room heading out for the barn.
-0-A moment or two later
Prime walked into his house and paused. Tie Down and Ravel stood and smiled. "Are things alright, Optimus? We hope nothing bad happened," Ravel said.
"Actually, Ravie," Optimus said with a slight grin, "Ratchet is in the brig."
They both looked at him a moment, then nodded. "Alright," Ravel said finally. Tie nodded, both exhibiting expressions of extreme shock on their faces.
"He and Prowl had too much to drink and went to the prison to have a conversation with Sentinel Prime. They were taken to the brig to sober up. No one is hurt. No one is in real trouble. They just raised a ruckus and were brigged."
Tie and Ravel glanced at each other, then down at the floor. "We are sorry, sir. Ratchet was raised to be a good mech," Ravel said.
Prime blinking in surprise gently lay his servos on their shoulders. "No, its alright. They just overdid and are wearing it off in the brig. Like the younglings at the Business Center. No one is in trouble and you have to know what my feelings are for Ratchet. He just overenergized with Prowl."
"Prowl? This is awful," Ravel said looking up at Prime with a worried look on his face. "What about the infants? We can help you, sir and Ironhide." He glanced at Tie Down. "This is not a good thing for the babies, Tie."
"We can help you," Tie Down said resolutely.
Prime grinned, suddenly aware that their demeanor was formal for a Prime. "I know. What I don't want to have is either of you worrying about anything."
Tie nodded. "Don't worry for us. We're going to be fine. We are on call for you, Optimus, sir."
Optimus nodded. "Thank you for coming tonight. I know I can depend on you."
They chatted a moment, then Tie and Ravel stepped outside to go home. Walking to the elevator, they rode to their floor and walked to Ratchet and Ironhide's apartment. Knocking on the door, it opened and Ironhide's face peered out. "Ravel and Tie. What are you doing up?"
Tie Down's expression changed to a firm one. "We need to talk, Ironhide."
Ironhide who could read the energy wall before him stepped meekly aside. "Come on in, Ravie, Tie."
They did.
-0-Inside
They sat on the couch looking at Ironhide. "Who took care of the babies when you were at the prison, Ironhide?" Tie asked firmly.
Ironhide feeling slightly ridiculous that such tiny mechs could make him feel like a sparkling leaned slightly forward. "The mechs across the hall come over on short notice. I called your apartment but you weren't there."
"We were taking care of the infants upstairs at the Prime's house," Ravel said nodding. "What is this about Ratchet getting drunk, making a spectacle and ending up in jail? We didn't raise him to be disrespectful of the law or the Prime. We don't understand what happened."
Ironhide told them and they sat staring at him without a comment for a moment. Ironhide sat feeling like a youngling outside the office of the director of his school waiting for the ax to fall. Some things never change he thought.
"Well, we don't approve but we know he is a loyal friend. Poor Prowl. He must carry a lot of anger," Tie said.
"That is no way to live, Ironhide. We have had a lot of injustice in our lives. We could never give Ratchet all the things that we wanted him to have but we didn't get bitter. We tried harder and accepted a lot of things we couldn't change. We know we were nice hardworking mechs and had a lot to give to our people but we never held a grudge even when it wasn't allowed. How can you live to be happy when you are always upset?"
Ironhide nodded. "We have had a lot of pain in the war, Ravie. I think that's a large part of what happens with the army here. I know Prowl has a grudge with Sentinel that he has to deal with but for some its a process. It takes time. Ratchet went with Prowl because they're good friends and because Prowl wanted to let his walls down. He does that with Ratchet. Ratchet is good for him and he's good for Ratchet."
"That's good to know, Ironhide. We only want our son to be an appropriate mech who understands that he can't always have his way," Ravel said nodding.
Ironhide snorted. "Good luck with that," he said with a grin.
They grinned back. After a few moments discussing the coming orns, the two got up and left. Walking to their door and going inside, Ravel turned to Tie Down. "I want to visit Ratchet in the morning before work, Tie Down. I want to talk to our boy."
Tie nodded. "You and me both, Ravie."
-0-Nearby in the Polyhex Tower
They commed off with Prime and glanced at each other. "Well, that is … interesting," Miler said leaning against the counter. "What do you think, Venture?"
"I think I need to visit Prowl in the morning. If there is a disturbance in this family, I need to understand it fully to do my duty as patriarch," Venture said with an edge in his voice.
"You won't be fighting Sentinel," Miler said glancing sharply at his bond. "He's in the prison already and that would be dishonorable."
Venture considered that and nodded. "That's true but I will have a conversation with him. I will draw the line."
-0-At the trine's house
Sideswipe commed off the monitor and looked at Sunstreaker who was sitting on the couch with Kaon on his lap. "Wow. They're in the brig. Again."
Sunstreaker nodded. "I think I'm going over."
Blustreak walked out of Iacon's room, Uraya still in his arms. "What's up?" he asked.
"Ada and Prowl are in the brig," Sunstreaker said.
Bluestreak looked intensely surprised. "What? Why?"
"Apparently, your atar kicked Sentinel Prime in the face," Sunstreaker said with a grin. "I wish I had been there. Bumblebee just told us."
"He's in the brig? Prowl?" Bluestreak asked with gathering dismay.
"And Ada," Sideswipe said with a nod. "He was there too."
"No," Bluestreak said. "I have to go see Prowl."
"We'll take turns," Sunstreaker said nodding.
Bluestreak walked swiftly to Sideswipe and gave Uraya to him. "I'm going first." With that, he turned and hurried out the door. It closed behind him. "Well, that was fast," Sideswipe said with a grin at his daughter. She looked up at him disturbed by Blue's alarm. Then she grinned broadly. "Atar," she said for the first time ever.
-0-TBC
2013 (1)