The Diego Diaries: Newbies 10 (332) edited
-0-Landing field near the Cultural Center, Autobot City Mars
He stepped down from the ship with two others pausing to survey the astonishing sight all around him. The place was crawling with refugees and all around them were Autobots and civilians who obviously lived here working to help. A city was before and around them, no matter which direction they looked. It was astonishing.
"Ada, do you think we can find them?" a tall handsome mech asked.
His ada nodded. "I am sure of it, son. Just follow me and we'll see."
The tall handsome mech, another by his side and the mech who was his ada stepped forward and joined a line.
-0-In the med tower
Ratchet worked on a mech with a processor injury bringing him back from death to the possibility of recovery. A few more orns and it would have been better for him. He stepped back and waited for the techs to remove him to intensive care for the recovery period ahead when an internal buzzer went off. Pausing in surprise, he checked it, then turned grabbing Gullwing by the arm. "I have an emergency. Please take over, Gullwing. I'll be back as fast as I can."
"It's alright. The list shows nothing we can't handle, Ratchet," the big Seeker processor surgeon said nodding.
"Thanks so much," Ratchet said as he turned and hurried out heading for the elevators and the street below. As he did, he alerted the ones he wanted and disappeared.
-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars
Prowl received the alert and turned to Optimus whispering into his audial. Optimus nodded and rose glancing around. "I'll be right back," he said as Prowl nodded. Hurrying for the door, he disappeared into the crowd.
-0-Springer and Drift
They came up from the underground that had brought them from Terra. Nearly colliding with Ratchet, they turned to go with him as he headed out to the airfield on a mission. Moving through the crowds, Ratchet paused by a supervisor of the intake and made his inquiries. They directed him to a group gathering nearby to go into the city. Drift and Springer followed Ratchet as he dove through the crowds. When the big bot got there, the group turned and looked at him. Ratchet looked back spotting the one he probably needed. "Are you Beray?" he asked.
The handsome slim youngling nodded uncertainly. "I am," he said.
-0-In a conference room in the Autobot City Municipal Courthouse, Cultural Center, Autobot City moments later
Prime entered the room where a pensive looking youngling sat with Blackstone, Ratchet and Springer. Drift stood against the wall observing silently. "Optimus," Ratchet said rising. "This is Beray. He really exists."
Prime extended his servo and moved slightly as Jarro entered. "Beray, I am glad you are here."
"Thank you, sir," the youngster said nodding nervously. "But why?"
They paused a moment for internal discussion, then Ratchet leaned forward slightly. "Jade is here."
He looked at Ratchet, then stood up swiftly jolting the table. "Jade? Jade is here? I have been looking for him forever. Can I see him? I have to see him."
Optimus nodded. "You will. We just have to inform you of his status in the colony at the moment."
They did.
-0-At an intake station on the Triage Grounds
"Your name?" a cheerful mech asked glancing at the three who were sitting before him giving information so they could be settled here.
"I am Moda," a young intelligent looking mech said. "This is my bond, Tress and my ada, Devcon."
The clerk input the data as given. In a conference room sitting with a nice weeping young mech, Ratchet got another ping. He considered it and delegated. :Ironhide:
:What?:
:Devcon is here. Let the Smokeys know. Record it. I want to see the fireworks, slagger. Right now, I'm helping with a problem. RECORD THE SLAGGING THING DO YOU HEAR ME!?:
:Count on it: The smirk on Ironhide's face floated over the link. The big mech turned and nearly flew to the intake station on the Triage Grounds.
-0-Lock up
"He told me everything. He was a kid and this slagger took advantage of him. He got away eventually but it was hard surviving on your own at that age. He's such a good mech. He's so smart and good. What's going to happen to him? Can I take his punishment? He's suffered enough," Beray pleaded. He looked at Prime with anguish and Prime felt old.
"We are going to settle this situation, Beray. There are extenuating circumstances and we will hold a closed Prime Hearing into this matter. The evidence and circumstances will determine the outcome. What is important now is that Jade knows you are here and that we do this the best way possible without causing more harm." Prime looked at Jarro and Ratchet. The three conversed a moment, then Jarro nodded. "I think that we need to let them have a moment together, Prime."
"Can I be in jail with him? I won't be trouble. I just don't want to be separated again. Its been so long and he's the one, the only one," Beray asked, anguish straining his voice.
Jarro thought a moment, then conversed with Blackstone and Prime privately. Prime nodded, then looked at Beray. "I ordered a review of Jade, his fitness now and his threat to the common peace. Jarro tells me that he can be released into house arrest pending the hearing if you are the bearer of his custody. He would have to wear a tracking device and his freedoms will be limited for now. If you are prepared to do that, I will allow it. Blackstone?"
"I would agree with that. Jade has a home and you can both live there until things get sorted out. I will call on you there and we will prepare for his hearing together," the lawyer said nodding.
"I will agree. I will take care of him," Beray said. "He needs me."
Prime nodded. "Ratchet, can you put a tracker on him?"
"I can download one from my files now," Ratchet said complying. He sat a moment, then glanced at Prime. "It's done. I can traverse the toughest firewalls around and I have. That kid is pretty tightly wound, youngling. This is going to be a good thing to have him go with you. I am on call orn and night. Call me, okay?"
Beray nodded. "Yes sir."
"Springer, Drift, bring Jade here," Prime said as the two turned and walked out. It would be a silent anxious wait for everyone.
-0-Ironhide
He spotted Devcon just as the mech and two others with him were finishing up. They had been assigned housing and were ready to go with someone who was going to take them. He walked up and grinned. "Hi, Dev."
"Ironhide," the handsome blue bot said. He grinned. "You made it."
"So did you. Are these those younglings you always talked about?" Ironhide asked nodding to the others.
"My son, Moda and his bond, Tress," Dev said as he shook Ironhide's servo.
Ironhide shook theirs and grinned. "Your son told us a lot about you, Moda. That youngling is a stellar youngling."
"Smokescreen?" Tress asked with surprise.
Ironhide nodded. "He's here. So is your bond, Dev."
Devcon stared at Ironhide a moment, then a slow grin formed on his stunningly handsome face. "Do tell," He said. "Please, Ironhide. Take us to them. You know you want to."
Ironhide snorted, grinning broadly. "My pleasure." With that, he turned and led the way to Ops Center.
-0-Conference Room
Jade sat leaning into Beray, his emotions in tatters from the amazingly unimaginable realization of a desire so immense that it had haunted him orn and night for ages. Beray held him, his arms around the beautiful youngster, his Jade. No one spoke for a moment, then Blackstone squeezed Jade's servo. "Jade."
For a moment, the youngling said nothing. Then he sat straighter and looked at Blackstone. "We have made an agreement that you can go to your apartment with Beray and stay there until the hearing about the case. You will have to stay there and follow a few rules but it will be better than having you sit in the cell. Do you understand?"
"I can go with Beray? I told you he would come. He came for me," Jade said softly, his voice filled with exhaustion and emotion. "My Beray … he would come for me," he said leaning against Beray again. "I can go with him?"
"You can. Jarro and I will be checking in. Ratchet will too. Do you think if we tell Beray what the rules are that you can follow them?" Blackstone asked gently.
Jade nodded. "I will. I want to go with Beray."
"You can," Jarro said glancing at Prime. "We can take it from here." He looked at Ratchet. "Thank you, Ratchet for following this through."
Ratchet nodded. They rose and firmed up details, then Prime and Ratchet stepped out. They walked to the street, then Ratchet took Prime's arm. "Come on. Be quick. Devcon is here."
Prime glanced down at Ratchet sharply, then grinned. "What are we standing here for?" he asked as he turned and put the metal to the pedal. Ratchet drafted along in his wake.
-0-Ops Center, Autobot City, Mars
They walked through the Rec Room unaware that Prime and Ratchet were coming in behind them. They also had no idea, at least three of them that Smokescreen Junior was coming up from his post in Communications-Major Data Retrieval down Central Corridor of the Fortress. All of the major parties were converging on Ops Center where an oblivious Smokescreen Senior sat doing his job at Communications. The scene was as follows.
Prowl stood at the center table doing his thing, being Prowl and doing it better than anyone else.
Smokescreen was deep in conversation with Kup out in the migration as he worked to bring home refugees and tell stories about various and sundry things he was seeing as he sat co-piloting his shuttle and shooting the slag.
Smokey Junior was walking with his usual light pedded tread toward the Ops Center where Ironhide had called him to come. He was glad. Communications data retrieval sucked.
Ironhide was walking with a light ped and a smirk on his face toward Ops Center trailing a family that was about to write a page in the annals of Ops Center for here, now and forever.
Devcon was winding up his sensors scouting for the signal that informed him of his onliest Only One without the slagger knowing, such were his firewalls. He walked with purpose and behind him two younglings followed in various stages of fear and loathing.
Moda, a cracker jack accountant followed his ada, his bond in tow. Both were very good looking. Devcon himself was extra handsome, indeed abnormally handsome which made to most of the mechs who knew the waywardness of Smokescreen mystified. Few bots reached the handsomeness of Devcon. Few bots were as extraordinary in build and protoform delineations as this fearless devoted Autobot bounty hunter. Abjectly filled with hatred for Decepticons, he was nice, friendly, good and devoted to the Autobots and their Cause.
To way too many bots, Smokescreen was a slagger.
Tress followed Moda, servos in servo as they wound their way toward the great open doors. Behind them moving with a speed and grace most would not attribute to someone so big, Optimus Prime followed.
Behind him, a smile on his face as he barely kept up, Ratchet the Yenta, Ratchet the Slagger's Slagger followed.
Ironhide led through the doorway, Smokey was next, then Prime and Ratchet. No one missed a slagging thing.
Prowl looked up and blinked recognizing the bounty hunter immediately. "Dev," he managed before the firewalls fell and Smokescreen looked up from Communications. He stared at Dev with a gaping look of stunned amazement, then stood pulling the plugs out of his chassis. "Dev. Moda."
Devcon paused staring at Smokescreen with a grin. "Smokescreen. Nice to see you again. You do remember us don't you?"
He gulped, then stepped forward his servos up in supplication. "Dev, I've been good a long time. I tried to find you but you kept moving. The kids … Smokey is here. There he is."
A big handsome bot stood behind them smiling with delight. "Grandada! ADA! ATAR!" he said before his genitors enveloped him in hugs. Dev watched, then embraced his grandson next. They stood together, then Dev looked him over. "You are growing up so fast. What a handsome mech you are, grandson."
Smokey grinned. "You look awesome. You're here! This is so great! You're going to love this place. Optimus freaking Prime is here. I'm working under his command. This is the greatest place in the universe. You are all here."
Dev hugged him tightly, then stood back looking at him fondly. That is when he turned and planted a fist on Smokescreen's chin lifting him completely off the floor. As he did, Ultra Magnus walked into the room.
-0-TBC June 13, 2013