The Diego Diaries: Shadow Box 44 edited for boo-boos :D
-0-In a corner beside the Conference Room in Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars
"Your atar and I are upset that you are so disturbed by Sentinel. We want you to know that we are your resolve, Prowl. There is nothing you can do that we will ever not support. You are our son, our only infant and we will always be your strongest allies and refuge."
Prowl looked at his ada a moment, a million emotions rolling around in his chassis. "I never said I ever needed that from you and Atar but I always did. I was a square peg in a round hole my whole life."
"We know that now. I suppose we always did but we had our traditions and you know us," he said with a tinge of bitterness. "Traditional."
"There's nothing wrong with that, Ada. I am too. The cultural things, our beliefs … they matter and I fight for them every orn," Prowl said hugging his father.
"We were in a straight jacket, Prowl," Miler said looking at Prowl with the strongest sense of serious purpose. "Your father and I didn't even get to choose our bond. But we were meant for each other. The life you live now … you were born to live it. Don't despair over the past. Neither you nor your father and I can mend that. We can do our best in the now against the future."
Prowl nodded. "I know," he said. They hugged a moment, then gathered themselves entering the meeting together. Finding their seats side-by-side, Prowl looked at Prime who was watching both of them with a sense of relief on his handsome face. :Are we okay? Are you?:
:We are perfect: Prowl responded with the ghost of a smile.
Optimus nodded, relief visible on his face. He looked at his troops, all of which were present. Arcee closed the door and sat down again beside Magnus. "Thank you for coming promptly. We have intel that Jazz will detail now."
Jazz nodded and turned punching on a monitor. Overhead, the image of space and three worlds circling a binary star system appeared. "This is a minin' labor camp called The Place. That's what the internal memos in their regular communications designates the location as rather than its stellar coordinates. It is an end-of-the-line place for dissidents, political prisoners and anyone who has pissed Megatron off. They mine rare minerals for Cybertron that factor into the war effort.
"This camp is rather new, bein' built just before the capture of Shockwave. He was havin' to go way afield to find the things they needed to keep the machine goin'. The working component of the place has between 1000 and 1200 mechs who do the slavin'. The refining is done by captive aliens, about 300. That leaves about 900 'Decepti-creaps to deal with."
Blackjack leaned forward on his elbows. "Ali, Flint and I were going through the data and the plans for the installation that Jazz forwarded to us last night. We have a number of possible plans of attack and rescue in mind."
Prime nodded. Blackjack sat back as Alor arose and walked to a wall computer. Inputting data, he turned as three screens came on. For a moment, it was deja vu all over again as the second greatest tactician of the Autobot Armed Forces began to detail solutions with the help of the former Master of the Autobot Armed Forces. It wasn't lost on anyone.
It could have been HQ in Iacon during any period before The Fall.
"We have outlined a number of possibilities. The first component of the takeover will require stealth. Special ops teams will be dropped off by bridge to go into the arrays and early warning systems that orbit the world where the main installation and the mine is located. They will disrupt the sensors and communications systems so that they will go dark.
"Secondly, a Seeker flight coming from two different locations from space bridges will strafe the ground and destroy their command and control as well as their fleet. That has to be swift because the next part will be shock troops that land at the bases, both of them and take out the soldiers. I am open to those two parts being reversed. If the Seekers go first, they will alert that troops and locating them will be harder. What is your thoughts on this, Prowl?"
Prowl who was formulating a zillion things found the probability of Seekers first, troops second a much higher risk of casualties than the other way around. "I agree. Troops first using stealth, then the Seekers. If we can either get the troops first, or control them, then they won't be running to the ships or gun installations so easily."
Alor nodded. "You can see that we have three planets to neutralize. This one," he said pointing to one that was circling the stars on the farthest orbit, "is only used for arrays. They are unmanned according to the intel and design specs but nothing should be taken for granted. We can hit them thirdly. The planetoid here is just used for mining with the slaves brought over during the working orn and taken back at night. At least one third will be there under minimal guard.
"Consider this. First, we stealth the troops, landing ships with spec ops, then hit the ships and arrays with Seeker fire. After that, we mop up. I would advise using the 'Cons own systems to tell the prisoners to stay down and in their barracks or mines until we get them. All three sites have to be hit. We don't want hostages on the mining world anymore than we want them on the other two. We don't want to hurt our own or any of the alien subjects. Those we can return to their people or hear about them and their situation to find out the extent of Decepticon incursion into the galaxy. It could be that they won't be able to return which means we have to help them either come here or locate somewhere they can live."
Prime nodded. "I agree, Alor. Surprise is the key to this. It will be our shakedown venture into the bigger problem. I want limited casualties, complete surprise and a fist of iron. The Decepticons need to be gathered up quickly; hopefully without needless lives lost. I want only the best, most veteran troops. I want them to use small ships, the new Wrecker fighters and battle shuttles designed to be fast and brutal. I want them to give up rather than fight but if they fight, I want our people to win."
Everyone nodded.
"What sort of aliens are we looking at, Prowl?" Ratchet asked.
"We are looking at more than one kind. They're both organic and suited to low atmosphere, low gravity planets. One is humanoid and bipedal, speak by means of telepathy and look in relative design like humans. But they are unusual in that they have large heads, horns like humanoid cattle and a tail." He reached over and touched a computer. An image of a strange alien species came onto the screen.
The image slowly rotated. It showed a very big humanoid with very human-like hands and feet, a pair of matching arms and legs and a thatch of thick hair on its head that was captured in a long braid that hung down its back. Its helm was big but not too big. Its audials were rather unusual in that they included ears that extended like a dog. Two long horns grew out of their head offset to the side like those of a bison. The face wasn't unattractive but held features like that of a pugnacious bull. The other figure looked like it but was smaller.
"Prowl, are you aware of sexual dimorphism?"
"Yes," Prowl said glancing at Ratchet.
"That smaller creature shares too many features to be other than the female and/or male version of the same species. In some species, the female is bigger, like the tyrannosaurus rex. In others, like the humans, the males tend to be bigger. This is the same species."
Prowl nodded. "The other one is different." He punched a key. A schematic of the main computer system appeared and was clothed in a strong halo of yellow light. The circuits which should have glowed blue in the huge diagram were yellow. "That yellow light is an actual species. They are being used to facilitate the machinery to work harder and faster. They are an energy species that travels freely in space. They were captured and forced into servitude, an act that eventually depletes and kills them. We have to make sure that we don't hit their main installation. That is where the computers are in which they are enslaved."
"Slag," Springer said grimly. "How do we free them?"
"We shut down the machinery they are tied into. Just the machinery, not the computers. Then we do a sequence of codes which will reverse their installation into the system. That will allow them a gateway in which to leave. What I want to do is make sure they understand that we aren't part of what was done to them. Since they float through space as transient energy forms, I want to stay on the good side of them," Prowl said.
It was silent a moment. "When do we go, Prime?" Kup asked.
"We will design and modify the plan. Then we will gather and brief the troops. I want this plan trouble shot on big asteroids out in the Oort Cloud before we try it for real. We get one shot and this energy species is the most vulnerable. I want it clear that the computer system doesn't get hit. We hit the appendages, the sensors and arrays. The main system stays off the target list," Prime said as he stared at the monitors. "We need to start the process now. Only the most veteran troops, the crack stuff. I want the entire team to understand what's at stake here."
They all nodded.
"Springer, what happened at the park last night?" Prime asked.
He looked at Drift. "About eight low caste mechs were playing a ball game at the open end of the park. About twelve high caste younglings saw them and began to taunt. It got ugly enough that a family who was there called the substation and reported it. They moved away as the Night Watch in the area came. More officers came from other places eventually but not before fists flew. I would say the underground is awesome for that aspect alone. They began to sort the mess out when genitors began to come and register their complaints."
"High or low?" Ratchet said. "As if I have to ask."
"High," Springer said with a grin. "It got ugly. Apparently we didn't know who we were talking to. Drift decked Florus. You remember him? The ex Governor-General of Altihex?"
"Slag," Kup said chomping on his stogie. "You didn't call me, slagger."
"Sorry, old mech. Between babysitting drunks and trying to tamp down a riot, I couldn't reach speed dial." Springer grinned at Kup who glowered back. "Anyway, we put it down. Literally. Did I tell you Drift decked Florus? We dragged them off to the hoosegow."
"I sent a message to Barron that I want them held. I'm tired of this. I intend to hold a Prime Hearing on this matter and end it once and for all. I don't expect all of us to be friends, but having them already in court over this matter and having it happen again? They need further intervention."
"I remember you mentioning a Convocation of the Public Will," Miler ventured.
"I expect that we will have to have one eventually but I want to hammer this one more time," Prime said. "I asked Semi to join me in adjudicating this matter and settling it once and for all."
"Sounds like fun. Can I come?" Springer asked with a grin.
"As the former Mrs. Optimus Prime, I think you get to sit on the dais," Ratchet ventured.
The chuckles were welcome.
"I can't wait until one of Ironhide's old flames shows up so I can beat your aft, Ratchet," Prowl said with a cool optic and a smirk. "Loser."
"YAY! Prowl is rallying!" Ratchet looked at Springer. "Nice one, Springer. My compliments."
"Thanks," Springer said with a chuckle. "My team will be there to testify when you hold this. I can assume that it will be soon as per the statutes on due process?"
"It will," Prime said as he grinned at Prowl.
"I will forward the reports to Prowl. He can get them to you. I will do my part to prevent inbox littering," Springer said with a chuckle.
"By littering up mine?" Prowl asked with a smirk.
"Least I can do for the current *Mrs*," Springer said to great acclaim.
"I tried," Kup said with a slight tone of resignation and 'don't blame me'. "As the grandpa, I did my best with what was on hand."
"So you're admitting your CNA is crap?" Ironhide asked with a grin.
Kup shot him a nuclear optic. "I admit to nothing."
A deep rumble of laughter paused the banter and they all looked at Prime who was bent over the table. Sitting straight up, he smiled. "You all suck."
He barely ducked the stuff that came flying.
-0-In the hallway afterward
"I never saw a Prime laugh before. Or tell jokes. Or be a smartaleck. Or laugh."
"You said laugh once already, Miler," Ratchet said as they walked down the sidewalk back to their work stations. "You'll get used to it. Give Prime a home and time to unwind and next thing you'll see, he'll be dancing."
"I've never seen a Prime dance," Miler murmured as he walked with Alor and Ratchet back to the Educational Tower to supervise a science project.
"Give Prime time, Miler," Alor said squeezing Miler's shoulders.
"I've never seen a Prime laugh, or dance, or ..."
-0-TBC For Pip
2013 (2)