The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 13 (dd3 177)
-0-Out there
The fort that would be their home base was rising swiftly under the experienced servos of the large contingent of Decepticons that had followed his command. They were making their quarters and command center below ground for security even while living in their ships until circumstances improved.
He, himself lived on the Destron in rather palatial quarters as in keeping with the ego-driven entitlement mentality of the senior command.
He stood on the command deck of Destron watching the construction as he considered the messages he'd received from Decepticon groups coming his way. Prime was out there as well and so was Soundwave. That backstabbing mech was intriguing. There were Decepticon signals that came out of nowhere and always ended in the same place. That meant a bridge and fort system had been created and supported by his now nemesis and rival, Soundwave.
It had been clear to him that Soundwave was working on a lot of things that had little to do with his very clear and very limited mandate from Megatron. Take care of Cybertron and do nothing more was the message they'd all received. It was evident to Paragon that Soundwave was moving beyond the short list into some kind of composition of his own.
He had sent Arrow and a scouting party to check out the situation around the edges of his out land sphere of influence. They would communicate on a channel that he knew Autobots used. The longer it took Soundwave to know about him and his group, the better.
Let the Autobots get the blame if Soundwave discovered the communications. He walked back to his throne and sat down to contemplate whatever corners he could cut to get what he wanted, control of everything Cybertronian without any of the blame from Prime, Soundwave or Megatron. Play them against the other was a very promising path to take.
-0-Club Cybertron at the same time
He looked at Ratchet, his expression as open as Ratchet had ever seen of him. "Sentinel was a fragger. He was tough, smart and he always went after what he wanted. You do know he tried to take the Matrix from Nominus Prime when someone tried to assassinate him and he was in the hospital."
"That was what was said," Ratchet said. "Someone saw him leaning over Nominus's berth in the hospital talking to him. He didn't get it obviously."
"No, but he always wanted it." Sunstreaker thought a moment. "You know, he can really fight. He's slagging tough and fast. I used to see him at the games and I know a part of him wanted to be in the mix. Part of me wanted him there, too, so I could slag him."
"He stalked you?" Ratchet asked quietly.
Sunstreaker looked at Ratchet calmly. "He always chased the ones he considered most beautiful. No one he was with could be less than that. His ego was beyond bounds when he was out of the high caste areas and into ours. He could act like he wanted and he enjoyed it, especially when he could drag Prowl along.
"Prowl really hated to come. He wasn't comfortable. There were a lot of us he either chased or arrested so the chances for violence were always there. Sentinel liked it. Prowl didn't. One night he saw me and that was it. I had everything he wanted. Looks, ability to fight ..."
"You were dangerous. That was huge with Sentinel. He loved danger, being on the edge of violence and death. He loved it and he sensed it with you," Sideswipe said looking at his brother. "I never gave him anything but slag. You didn't give him any attention. That didn't sit well with Sentinel. He always got what he wanted. He rose through the ranks, sucked up to the money class, his own caste, and ended up Prime. No one ever deserved it less. He wanted Sunny and you knew it from the first time he saw you."
"You get to know 'the look'. You know, the one that says trouble is coming. I've been wanted by a lot of mechs. Lots of them. Some I even wanted back. But on my terms, Ada. Never on theirs. They were the suckers, the marks. We were hungry, had no one and were criminals. I don't pretend we weren't but I drew the line on some high caste fragger thinking he could have me just because he wanted it. Fragger would've gotten a shiv in the necklines for that kind of thinking."
"Wouldn't have harmed the world if you had," Ratchet said sympathetically. "You clashed, I take it."
"He'd come to the bars and hang out just staring at me. Sometimes he'd show up at the apartment and want in. It was weird," Sunstreaker said. "Then he harassed Sideswipe, told me he'd put him in prison and I'd never see him again."
"Did he?" Ratchet asked with a slight frown.
"I climbed into the window of his villa at Capital City and caught him recharging. I destroyed a couple of things and left my glyph with a note. Don't frag with me or my brother or you will die." A cold look of contempt featured on Sunstreaker's handsome face.
"What did he do?" Ratchet asked.
"It turned him on more, Ada," Sideswipe said with a slight grin.
"Sentinel has high caste entitlement syndrome. He thinks because he wants it that its enough," Ratchet said. "He's where he belongs." He looked at Sunstreaker. "You need to stay away from him in the prison. Ignore him if he wants to talk. Don't give him what he wants and don't allow him to control you so that he does. That would hurt him more than anything else."
Sunstreaker looked at Ratchet, a thousand stories shimmering in his optics. He nodded curtly.
"You have a great family, a great home, the esteem of the community and me. You have Ironhide and me. You're on the slagging school board. There's nothing Sentinel can do to touch that," Ratchet said squeezing Sunstreaker's servo.
Sunstreaker stared at him then nodded again fully aware that even if the intention was true, the content seldom was. They settled back and talked about football and upcoming conferences. The shadow of Sentinel Prime kept them company as they did.
-0-At the Trigger
Bluestreak sat at communications helping set up the relay that would be starting out from Fort Apache as ships lined up to go through the bridge when it activated. They were ready to lay out the dishes and drops that would facilitate their 'frag with Paragon plan' and make things interesting for special ops and communications mechs who'd be watching for receipt tags to ping back to them that their prey had taken the bait. Those were built in to send a nanosecond before the communications fully opened so that Paragon wouldn't know they were tracking his activity.
It was awesome.
Wheeljack and Perceptor were awesome.
Blue sat at his station considering the muted emotional stuff that had been plaguing Sunstreaker and to a lesser extent Sideswipe since the night before. Something had happened when they'd talked to Sentinel and it wasn't good. It had something to do with their past lives and they were doing an admirable job of hiding it from him, the slaggers. The content was unassailable by him thanks to their expert firewalls but the emotions were heavy and omnipresent, if somewhat muted.
It was aggravating.
:Sideswipe:
:Babe:
:What's wrong and don't frag with me. I want to know. This has something to do with Sentinel, right?:
:You know what we think of Sentinel, Babe. This is just that:
:You're lying:
A chuckle drifted over the link. :You're so cute when you get mad:
:Don't give me that. What do I have to do? Find you and slag you both? What's going on?:
:Later. Tonight: The link with Sideswipe went muted.
Bluestreak considered that, then dialed in Ratchet.
:Ratchet:
:Bluestreak:
:What's going on with the twins? I know you're with them. I have you on the translator grid. You're all at the Club:
:We are and having a slagging fine time. What's up with you?:
:Something's fragged with Sentinel. They won't tell me. Tell me:
:Not yet. Later. They would hide my aft if they thought I broke a confidence and they don't disclose often. Slag them when you get home and make them tell you:
:If I need help, will you come over?:
A grin filtered back to him. :I will take your call:
:You're being coy now, Ratchet. I hate that:
:I do, too, but they're sitting right here giving me the stink optic:
:I'll see you later then:
:Good, Blue. I look forward to it. Ratchet out:
Blue commed off and spent a fretful shift in spite of soothing energy from Sideswipe. There was nothing on the link from Sunstreaker but an edgy silence.
-0-Ops Center
"What then is your decision?" Prowl asked.
"I think if I do break cover that it should be at the House Foreign Affairs meeting. The world's attention will be fixed on that one and the set up could accommodate my size. I would be able to answer questions if needed there but not at the United Nations General Assembly speech. I want to sucker punch these opposition representatives in the chin as hard and as fast as possible. I am still not convinced that its time but I will go with Ratchet when he leaves just in case the meeting presents an opportunity."
"Optimus," Smokescreen said pausing by the table with a datapad. "New off the lines."
Optimus took it to read then handed it to Prowl. Prowl read it impassively and looked at Prime. "What do you want to do?"
Prime told him.
-0-Out there
The Hish commanders stood on the planetary fragment waiting for the new metallic creatures to come to speak. They'd received their signals and after conferring with the Great Hierarch, they had permission. So they waited.
-0-At the prison
The senators lounged on the yard of their cell block. They sat together chatting, playing board games or alone. Sentinel Prime sat on a chair near the gate and stared at the sky as he thought about the yellow and black mechanism that had occupied so much of his free time during his tenure as Prime.
Sunstreaker was here. His brother was as well. This was good news. It was a way to alleviate his boredom to think about Sunstreaker and consider the possibilities.
And the memories.
He'd reached the pinnacles of power when he achieved the Primeship. It had been his lifelong dream. But the office had its own encrusted patterns of behavior that constituted acceptable and unacceptable conduct in the rarefied heights of Cybertronian society and leadership. He had enjoyed it a while, then he chafed. He was used to the military life of fighting, brawling and fragging around.
The high caste society he lead was calcified and corrupt. Even he could see that. Over the course of his Primeship he had come to the conclusion that the survival of Cybertron depended upon him so he sanctioned draconian social restrictions, making for himself a prison of propriety.
No more could he wander the slums and back alleys of the city-states in his free time partaking in the life he had enjoyed before. Fighting, drinking and chasing mechs was out. The life of danger that fed his personality … dangerous pastimes and dangerous romantic pursuits were harder and more challenging to continue.
Sunstreaker had been a goal. Twins were rare to the point of nonexistence and the novelty of the two was intriguing. That they were both footless and homeless, dangerous to the extreme and utterly amoral was an added bonus. They headed the worst and most feared road gang on Cybertron. Even Barricade's road posse was secondary in all measurable ways to them.
They were ruthless but they had odd exceptions. They didn't steal or bother low castes no matter the circumstances. They were barely tolerant of middle castes to the point of not extorting them. The high castes bore the brunt of their intractable fury and rage.
Even the security forces didn't enter their club.
He did.
Often.
He considered that as he sat on his chair watching the sparse clouds float by overhead in a late spring afternoon. They would pass and so would the sunlight as the orn gave way to the night. He would sit here and wait. Sunstreaker was coming back on duty he'd heard when the shift changed earlier. They would do so for at least a decaorn. Things had just become tolerable he thought as he sat quietly waiting.
-0-At the studio
Sadee left, her latest assignments in servo. Her spirit was infectious and her youthful optimism about the possibilities of life was uplifting. They sat together sprawling on the couches as the moments before school's dismissal ticked by.
"Sentinel is playing with your processor. Again."
Sunstreaker looked at Sideswipe and shrugged. "Doesn't matter. He's caged up and he can't get out. Our duty will pass and he'll still be there."
"Just so you know," Sideswipe said nodding. "Time to get the kids."
They rose and walked out of the studio speeding to the school over the roads. They raced each other to the new facility, then transformed their peds to walk inside. The short ride up rounded up the blossoms of their little garden. When they walked back out, three tiny infants would do so on their own little peds, their genitors walking behind holding the leashes to their harnesses with pride.
-0-TBC 2013 (1) 9-24-19