The Diego Diaries: Slammer (441)
-0-Courthouse, Autobot City, Mars
Prowl looked at Fenix with cold optics. "Is there a question in all of that?"
"Yes. You brawl with high castes. Why?" Fenix asked. "What manner of self loathing do you have and act upon given your evident high caste self hatred that makes you a danger to the high caste members of this colony?"
Prowl looked at him a moment formulating a number of options to the pincer movement that was so evidently going on here. He was being made the problem rather than the problem itself. He considered Fenix, then answered. "First of all, there are no high, low or mid castes here, Fenix. Your questions are predicated on an assumption and reality that doesn't exist in this colony. To make a defense of this offense by your clients based on the caste system is disallowed by Primal Decree.
"My conduct is an open record. I am a soldier. I am charged with keeping the peace and protecting everyone including you. I am also subject to the same foibles and limitations as anyone else with my length and variety of battle experience, though there are those who would disagree. I have never denied my impulses under extreme provocation regarding the Prime of Cybertron from any other moment. They exist, though they are very rare.
"However, those incidents do not mitigate the behavior of your clients. I accept the new reality. We are one, all of us. Even though I was born to be high caste, I have never accepted it as a way of life or anything worth defending because it is blasphemous and a blow to the Prestige of Primus and our creed.
"I do not nor will I ever accept blasphemy or disrespect of the Prime whom I serve nor the sad behavior of your clients in their misguided belief that they are intrinsically better than everyone else because they won the separation lottery. That does not make me self loathing. It makes me sane."
Fenix considered that. "You fought in the past a high caste group who insulted a sparkling. That's the same rationale used to justify the murder of Kudon of the Council of Ancients."
"The incident has never been denied nor covered up. I stand on my record of service and do not deny anything. As for Kudon, that case was tried and settled according to a Prime Hearing. The very law you are using now for your clients settled that case long ago. For you to continue to bring it up as symptomatic of something deeper is your position, not that of the colony which followed Cybertronian law and the leadership of the Matrix."
"Your son-in-law, the son-in-law of the Prime was the accused and he received only 30 orns detention. House arrest for murdering one of the most distinguished and honored members of our society. Again, insult to a sparkling was the supposed rational for the event at servo," Fenix persisted.
"Your honor, arguing old cases is beside the point. Those cases have been adjudicated according to our laws and are closed. I must object," Coln-2 said even as he knew full well what Fenix was doing.
"Fenix, you may continue but get to the point. If you don't, you will end this line of questioning. Objection overruled." Semi sat back and listened once more. The courtroom was tense and silent.
"Your honor, I'm attempting to show bias on the part of the military toward certain groups in the cities and colony that sets a dangerous precedent for their safety and well being." He looked at Prowl. "You have one count regarding insult to sparklings as a justification for brawling with high castes, then two counts of brawls at the prison with Sentinel Prime. This is the fourth offense where you've shamed your service with dishonorable behavior.
"How do we know that this isn't a deep seated personal problem for you that's being worked out on the bodies of this particular group? What is there in your thinking that changed you from a proud member of this group to a self loather who acts vengefully against them?"
"Proud? SINCE when?" Prowl spit out uncharacteristically.
Prime watched with intense dismay and outrage. It was only exceeded by Prowl's own. As they discussed what to say next, the door had movement. Venture and Miler entered along with Ravel and Tie Down. They sat at the back making room for Kestrel and Tagg who looked on with extreme fright on their faces. Prime pulsed warmth to his genitors even as Ratchet and Prowl did theirs.
Then Prowl answered. "I'm delighted that you would psychoanalyze me here, Fenix, without a single private conversation on these topics. Understand a few things. I was never a 'proud' member of the high castes as my genitors can attest. I have never felt apart from others because of caste. I am religious. I believe that Primus made us all equal and that the words 'Until all are one' are sacred and our duty to live and uphold. To be considered good in my opinion is to live those words as much as you can.
"I am also part of the thin line that separated you and the rest of our people from being overtaken by Megatron. We kept you alive so you could flee when Cybertron was overrun. You didn't stay behind like we did. You ran away.
"There's a cost to that effort. All of us who serve bear it. We're very aware of it and keep it under control. The Matrix and the leadership of our very great Prime make it possible for us to live here peacefully and to heal from some of the long traumas most of us who didn't run have accumulated over the vorns.
"I have serious religious and ethical problems with those who disrespect our Prime and hold to The System. For Prime, they include but aren't limited to the Matrix he bears, his role as Primus made real among us and his heroic, noble, even majestic leadership of our side over the vorns of despair and battle that has nearly driven us to extinction. Where were you when the rest of us were suffering and working against impossible odds to gather our people together again? How many battles do you and these younglings count in your resume? One? Two?
"I think not. None would be a more appropriate number. I will never countenance blasphemy and disrespect of our great Prime. You may make of that what you want but there is nothing about me that is self loathing. I know my worth. I know my contribution to this moment where we can sit here in safety and discuss our disagreements according to the laws of our civilization.
"Though you may have decided to make me appear to be self loathing or dangerous, you would be wrong. I am Prowl, Second-In-Command to Optimus Prime, the leader of our people and armed forces and the center of my existence. I will always defend his honor and by doing so defend all of us. I am a soldier. That is what I do."
It was silent a moment, then Fenix nodded. "Very noble sentiments poetically posited. But it still doesn't change the fact, Prowl, that you seem to only brawl with high castes. That does not help us with the central problem. High castes are at risk of murder here. Retro and Kudon are case points.
"High castes get jailed in greater numbers than others. There's no guarantee of safety for us here because of the institutionalized attitudes of the leadership that your behavior reflects. These younglings didn't start the fight but they're sitting here facing penalties."
"You heard their remarks. You heard their provocations. You were there by request, Fenix. You cannot state that they didn't happen without lying. Are you going to lie and say that the younglings didn't provoke? The soldiers were silent until your clients provoked. Incitement is a violation of Cybertronian law. Why are you ignoring that when you were there to witness it by your own request?"
"This isn't a debate, Prowl. I'm entering your record of incarcerations from brawling with high castes into the record as evidence of bias against my clients, your honor," he said glancing at Semi.
Semi nodded. "Noted.
"I have no more questions for this witness." Fenix sat.
So did Prowl.
Ratchet squeezed his servo and Prime sent him enormous love over their bond. It helped marginally.
"I call Commander Ratchet to the stand," Coln-2 said.
Ratchet stood, walked to the stand and took the oath. He looked around the room catching his genitors who looked terrible, as terrible as the others with them. Blackjack and Ironhide had come in behind them and were standing against the wall in the crowded room. He pulsed intense love to Ironhide who overwhelmed him back. Staring at Coln-2, he waited stoically.
"We've heard a lot of testimony from Autobot Smokescreen, the bartender, Quari and S.I.C. Commander Prowl, Ratchet. Do you agree with their versions of the events at servo?"
Ratchet nodded. "I do."
"You were incarcerated with Commander Prowl. You dropped the defendant Haro-n when he charged you after the fight was ended, correct?"
"Yes," Ratchet agreed.
"He was presenting a clear and present danger by his actions, would you agree?" Coln-2 asked.
"I would. He came at Prowl raging about being a caste traitor and mixer. He then said the reason things were such a mess as he saw it was Prime. He cast aspersions on the Prime. I saw someone out of control in a still fluid and volatile situation so I neutralized the threat."
"How?" Coln-2 asked quashing an urge to grin.
"I punched him," Ratchet said. "Just enough to stop his charge. The last thing we needed was the fight to erupt again because of him."
"When you were in the brig you had reason and opportunity to study the defendants and their behavior, correct?" Coln-2 asked.
"Objection," Fenix said. "He's asking for clinical commentary of individuals that haven't been examined properly. Anything he could say would be subjective, unconfirmed by data and pejorative."
"Objection overruled. I might agree with you but this is the Chief Medical Officer of the entire armed forces as well as the planet. He's had to do this sort of evaluation in worst conditions on battlefields all over the galaxy. His opinions are supported by his expertise and the oath to his profession that he has made. Continue, Doctor."
Ratchet nodded. "I have."
"What if any conclusions have you come to that might have a bearing on this case?" Coln-2 asked.
"Again, I object, your honor," Fenix began but Semi cut him off.
"I would agree if this were hearsay by a person unskilled in evaluations of psychological fitness and conditions but this is a mech who wrote the book. Overruled," Semi said.
Fenix sat and watched Ratchet, the wheels in his processor turning visibly.
"I have only preliminary conclusions based on observations in the bar and in the brig. I'd say that there's an enormous sense of entitlement among these younglings. It's as if they were still on Cybertron going about their business unencumbered by the prospect that the mechanisms that existed there … courts, policing and laws … still were in place to protect them from the consequences of saying the things they say about others.
"On Cybertron, they could mouth off the way they did in the bar and brig and there were no consequences. The deck was stacked in their favor. It isn't here and there appears to be shock that they're being held accountable for what they got a pass for on Cybertron.
"There's also a deeply seated hatred for others based on irrational concepts such as caste and intrinsic values of worth for mechs and femmes based on that perception. They deeply, deeply hate others who they identify not as beings but as castes. It's virulent and they're not inclined to hide or modify it around others which is interesting considered they were outnumbered.
"One of them, one identified to me as Sio is in my most professional opinion impaired psychologically. He's without a sense of personal self awareness in relation to danger and circumstances. He persisted in having hateful conversations with the soldiers, some of whom are the most feared Autobots in our armed forces. There were over a dozen front liners and half a dozen Wreckers in the brig with them and he persisted in antagonizing them. Even when you, Fenix, attempted to get him to stop he persisted.
"He has no sense of fear. What would give others pause doesn't appear to exist in his processor. That's worrisome. Where others will run after assessing the situation, he won't. He'll stay and provoke. That's worrisome in the extreme for me. He's without the normal fight or flight reaction that preserves life.
"He's consumed by hatred, is not afraid to attack anyone he perceives to be sub par with his own status including Alor of Iacon. Alor of Iacon was attacked without mercy not just by Sio but the others. Alor of Iacon," Ratchet said with a still vibrating sense of astonishment that wasn't diminished by the night passing.
It was incredible even to some of the high castes in the audience. There were only a few things agreed upon almost unanimously in Cybertronian society and one of those was the talent and greatness of Alor of Iacon. Even the Decepticons respected that worthy.
"I would suggest a complete profile of Sio and perhaps all of the aforementioned defendants. There's a number of points of concern regarding their psychological fitness for me as a professional and I recommend Jarro and his department to do the work. No one on Cybertron ever topped Jarro for getting to the point of contention."
"Thank you, Doctor," Coln-2 said as he sat down.
Fenix stood up. "Doctor, is it true that you were involved in all three of the brawls that Commander Prowl began at the prison and rec room over the past 3-4 years?"
"Yes. I also started a brawl at the prison when it stood where the Refugee Intake and Welcome Center stands now at the airfield. That was an epic moment, too," Ratchet said remembering when Optimus took an oil barrel to the face and squashed Prowl when he fell.
"You find that funny do you?" Fenix asked.
"In some circumstances, yes. There was a great romance broadcast, a cast of thousands, the entire city watching, mini-cons building towers to try to get over the fence, half the 'Cons brawling half the 'Cons inside the prison to get the chance to surrender, the forward bases coming back to assist in the suppression of the riot without being called and Optimus getting an oil barrel to the face. He fell on Prowl and nearly crushed him. I'm still sorry for that," he said glancing at both with a slight smirk.
Prowl and Prime looked unchanged. On the outside.
Prowl: :You should, loser:
Prime: :I know I will laugh louder about that someday, Ratchet. Just not today:
Ratchet nodded to them, then turned back to Fenix. "Maybe you had to be there."
He looked at Ratchet. "You like to brawl."
"No. I prefer diplomacy and serve as our diplomat, remember? But sometimes a brawl is what's necessary."
"You were very argumentative in the brig," Fenix said.
"I answered attacks. I was attacked for chuckling at a joke my bond told me over our link. That youngling … Sio … he needs help," Ratchet said.
"Your concern is noted," Fenix said with heavy sarcasm. "You and Prowl like to get into fights with others and you don't seem to find it a serious defect that you end up in the brig."
"I wish you'd given more consideration to the circumstances of the time I got slagged at Tyger Pax rescuing Bumblebee. I wish you had cared about the time that I had to fight Shockwave servo-to-servo and nearly went to the Matrix. I've had to do a lot of what you call brawling. All of it was in the service of our people. What do you suppose your clients brawl for other than jacking up their low self esteem?
"I don't hold much truck for those who have bigoted self views and try to enforce them on others. These boys need a long stretch in reality. They're no more important than anyone else of our kind anywhere and the sooner they learn that, the sooner their lives will go on a smoother course."
Fenix looked at Ratchet. "You've brawled in a prison starting a riot, brawled with Prowl over a sparkling, that one with high castes. You brawled twice at the new prison with Sentinel."
Ratchet cut him off. "I didn't brawl with Sentinel. I don't know circuit su or metalikato. I'm expert at hand-to-hand but not good enough to leverage a mech his size. I've slagged it out with Megatron servo-to-servo and know my limitations with the big platforms. I was there to observe."
"You were at a brawl to observe?" Fenix asked.
Ratchet nodded. "I accepted guilt by association but the brawling and slagging I left to others."
Fenix looked at Prowl who allowed a tiny smirk. :Good. Eat this, slagger: he said to Ratchet.
Ratchet grinned, then looked at Fenix. "I brawled in the old prison, observed at two brawls in the new one and dropped a youngling last night who was charging us in a fluid dangerous situation. I admit to that without reservation."
"Then you admit that you break the laws when you want and hold no inhibitions about slagging high castes."
"I admit that I'll do my job three out of four stated times. Caste has no meaning for me. I'm bonded to the highest ranking caste mech in this colony. Ironhide and his father are Praxian Warrior Elites. If they came in and you were sitting, even you, Fenix and the rest of you ridiculous slaggers … you would have to get up and let them sit in your chairs. They could cut in front of any line and eat first at any event. You would have no recourse anymore than the lowest of the low castes. Even among you slaggers, you high caste poseurs, you have to give ground to higher bots. It must stick in your craw."
Fenix stared at Ratchet a moment, then shrugged. "This isn't about me."
"No. Its about them, the System and their ability to live outside of reality to the point of fighting anyone they see around them for crap reasons. You'd better understand … the system that allowed them to do that unmolested on Cybertron doesn't exist here. You need to accept reality as it is, not as you want it to be." Ratchet stared at him for a moment, then Fenix sat down.
"I would like it on the record that Commander Ratchet admits to four brawls, starting the worst one committed and that he's hostile to high castes," Fenix said.
Semi nodded. "It's entered."
Ratchet was excused and walked to his seat.
:Good job, loser: -Prowl
:Thanks, whiner: -Ratchet
They both grinned.
Microscopically.
"I would like to call Alor of Iacon," Coln-2 said.
Alor stood up and walked to the stand for the oath taking.
-0-TBC September 21, 2013 7-31-19