The Diego Diaries: Paragon 1 (580) edited
-0-Later that afternoon
They waited on the airfield, the swirling energy of the space bridge sending tingles across their epidural armor. It flared, stabilized, then figures came through. Paragon walked onto the earth of Mars followed by Arrow. They continued forward, then paused in front of Prime and his welcoming committee. The Elite Guards provided formal security as the pair took in their reception.
Ironhide, Blackjack, Alor, Starscream, the Great Elder, a cold looking Thundercracker, Ratchet, Prowl and Nitro stood in a half circle watching the two silently. Paragon nodded. "Prime."
"Paragon," Optimus replied with his own nod. "What brings you back?"
Paragon paused a moment, taking in the enormity of his decision, then nodded. "I am here to ascertain terms of surrender for myself and my command."
Prime considered that, then glanced at the others. They were as statues, backing him, absorbing the magnitude of the moment with their great colleague, friend, companion of too many terrible battles, family member. "They are as I have stated. You must surrender your weapons, come to us cleanly and go into detention. If you are serious about this, then you can ask to become a citizen. You will have to give to me your oath as well as the Matrix. I can only feel disappointed if you break your word to me. The Matrix has its own ideas about what it feels and wishes for any oath breaking. I am sure you know what that is."
Paragon nodded. "I do. I do not wish to break an oath given, not to you nor the Matrix. I am religious on that matter, Prime."
Prime nodded. "This is your partner, Arrow?"
The big handsome Seeker was standing silently, nervously. Paragon looked at him, then Prime. "He is my bond."
Prime nodded. "You defied Megatron as well?"
"I have never favored all of his ideas and wishes. Some things are impossible to deny," Paragon said quietly. "It is illogical for us to continue in this paradigm. It's time to take stock and make a choice that is best for all concerned."
"How are we to trust you?" Ironhide asked. "How do we know that you won't turn and change your mind or sabotage this place?"
"You have my word," Paragon said looking levelly at the big Autobot. "If I give my word to the Matrix, I will keep it. I wish to be a resource, an asset. I expect that I will have to earn trust through my actions."
"Telling us everything you know would be a good place to start," Alor said.
He looked at Alor. "I will be obligated, Maestro, to do so," Paragon said.
Prime nodded. "Follow me." He turned to walk to the Fortress, the rest including Paragon and an uneasy Arrow behind him.
-0-In the conference room in Ops Center
They took their seats, the Autobots waiting silently as the pair sat. Prime considered them. "What can you tell us about out there? I want to know everything that you know."
Paragon nodded. "We were a party that served at the whim of a madman. His control is slipping. Megatron is bad enough by himself. His megalomania is dangerous and harmful to morale. His son … that beastial son of his is a very grave danger. He has processor problems … something in his spark is defective. He liked to kill and it didn't matter who it was, you or us. He liked to go to the prisons and kill in contests he ordered held. No one defied him. No one dared. He considered such things sporting. He also liked to kill if he thought you were giving some offense. It didn't matter that you didn't. He just likes to kill."
"Galvatron," Ratchet said.
Paragon nodded. "There are enormous assets in the Decepticons that stay out of fear. They are afraid that Megatron will track them down if it takes forever and kill them. They stay out of fear, lingering loyalty and the hope of victory some orn. Many stay out of fear of leaving Cyberton and the colonies to his tender mercies."
"There are groups leaving," Blackjack said. "You and others."
"There are but most stay because of fear of retribution. You also cannot discount that there are those who believe in the Cause even yet. There are also those who like to kill and the Cause allows, even encourages it."
"What about the others?" Ironhide asked.
"Cyclonus is attracting the more military-oriented groups, those that have become restless under the lack of military order. He is hard-wired to do his job in that manner so they gravitate to him. There are three other piratical groups besides Slacker's. They are mostly free roaming but they stay in this area. They are interested in the colony. We all receive your transmissions," Paragon said. He smirked slightly. "I can assume that you know about them."
"You assume correctly," Prime said nodding. "Slacker is smarter than he acts."
"He is. He's mid caste and a merchant. Or he was. He lost his family and he has no love for Megatron. He got free, gathered an armada and takes care of them and himself. He is very smart and not easily fooled. He has lost much but not his love for Cybertron. None of us have. I don't expect you to understand that but it is true," Paragon said.
"What do you love, Arrow?" the Great Elder asked.
Arrow looked at him, then averted his optics. He was of inferior station and had not been given permission to speak to the Elder with any manner equally level in status. "My bond. My people … my home world, Elder."
"I see." The Great Elder looked at this mech, a big strapping handsome Seeker from Harrier's clan told to him by the tattoos and marks on his armor. "What do you say?"
Arrow considered the throw down and knew he had no other path to take but the right one. He rose, his gaze firmly lowered. He stepped away from the table, then knelt. "I am seeking home, Elder. I wish to come home."
The Great Elder considered that. "Do you come in honor or subterfuge? Do you come to honor your clan or disgrace it?"
"Honor it, Elder," he said softly.
"Then you may stand and look at me," the Elder said.
Arrow stood, then looked at Rainmaker, a nearly mythological individual from his youth and the war. He was the moral center of their kind, the greatest of the great among their format. Even Starscream gave him serious props. "I seek home, Elder," he said formally.
"Home is granted if you come in a good way," Rainmaker replied equally formally.
Arrow bowed lowly, then returned to his seat, the expression on his face emotional and relieved. Paragon slid his servo toward the Seeker squeezing his arm. Then he looked at Prime. "I have skills which I offer. I will make my word and keep it. There is not point in living in a dream, Optimus Prime, when there is no hope for it to come true."
"The dream ..." Ratchet asked. "Is that the dream of becoming the leader of your faction and Cybertron or is it the certain belief that if you die it might as well be with us? After all, Megatron might get lucky."
Paragon looked at Ratchet with a faint smile. "He might but something in my calculations tells me that is a forlorn hope on his part. If I die, I will die here defending this place. I wish to live in a true Cybertronian society again. I was unaware of how much it weighed on me, all these long years adrift. I can imagine you understand what that means yourselves."
It was silent a moment, then Prime stood. Everyone else did too including Rainmaker. He held out his servo and Paragon gripped it. A charge sealed the deal and Paragon's fate if he ever sought to break it. Arrow sealed his agreement too, then they looked at Prime. "I will be bringing everyone of my people with me. They agreed to come here. I am … pleased that they did so. They are good mechs and femmes."
"Then come with me and we will bring them over. I will be confiscating your base to use to our advantage," Prime said.
Paragon nodded. "We know. I have the codes here." He subbed a datapad and held it out. Prowl took it then turned walking to the door. As he stepped out, the group waited until Prime passed, then followed him out the door.
-0-Moments later
They came through the bridge, dozens and dozens. They stood in their muster lines, their optics looking around at the miracle of the city before them. They were mostly young but there were veterans among them, older mechs and an older femme who were obvious leadership in the ranks. It was also obvious that Paragon ran a tight ship, their bearing at this point suggesting a military code that was enforced. When the last mech stepped off, Paragon turned to Prime. "This is the last warrior."
Prime nodded, then turned to Drift, Springer and Kup. "Take them to their quarters. We will begin the process of orientation immediately." He turned to Paragon. "We will supply accommodations for the interim. No Decepticon regalia or marks are allowed. We will provide food and medical attention as well. The processing is managed by the city but the mentoring and monitoring of Decepticons in our midst is done by the Former Decepticon Association." He turned to nod at Nitro who was standing silently beside Ironhide with a stern expression. "Nitro is one of the Association's officers. He will explain what happens to you and your troops. You will be segregated from a group that we captured during the last migration. They have not assimilated and some of them will not be given the opportunity to come into the city to live because they are dangerous. We want you separate from them."
Paragon nodded. "Thank you."
"You will be working with Nitro and Ultra Magnus for the processing of your status. I will be checking in to help with anything that needs to be made clear. When your soldiers are ready and have passed the screening, I will take their oaths. I am assuming you explained the Matrix and what will happen if that oath fails?" Optimus asked.
"I have," Paragon said as Arrow nodded. He paused a moment. "You should not discount how much we have longed for Cybertron. This city is as close to her as most of us have come. It is a powerful incentive for assimilation."
Prime nodded. "It is. It is also the line in the sand, this colony and this system. We will defend it to our last mech and femme."
Paragon nodded. Prime turned. "Nitro, Springer. Take them to the segregation unit to begin processing. I am told that Ultra Magnus is already there with his teams."
Springer nodded, then looked at the troops, hundreds of soldiers watching them. "You will follow him," Springer said nodding to Drift. You will be taken to your barracks until your status to live here passes through general processing. Keep in good order. Don't give us a reason to frag you and when you get to your barracks, remove your tats and other slag that I.D's you as a 'Con. That is banned here." He glanced at Drift and nodded.
Drift turned and began to walk to the road. Paragon turned, then gestured for his troops to follow. They began, each line following the other until they were on their way. Paragon looked at the senior Autobots, then turned with Arrow to follow too. They themselves were accompanied by armed security.
"That was satisfying," Ratchet said as they stood together watching.
Rainmaker nodded. "It was. Another lost spark returns to the fold."
Prowl nodded. "I agree. Praxus winning the game obviously was all it took."
A slap on the back of his helm from Ratchet was all it took as well. Prowl slapped Ratchet back as the group turned to walk back to the Fortress. It was sunny and warmer, the sky nearly blue as the dome of Olympus Mons curved upward into the horizon. Snark was had all the way to the Fortress by all.
-0-That night
"What do you think?"
"I think it was a good decision made devoid of emotion. I think I feel the burn still," Paragon said as he stood by the bars staring at the glowing sky nearby. Autobot City and all her related areas were bright with the lights of evening. Air traffic came and went at the airfields. The sound of laughter and arguing from other cell blocks and barracks around them could be heard but theirs was calm and silent.
He had explained the situation and the decision he had reached. He had explained the city he had seen when he had gone to visit. It was quiet for a moment, then a big mech stepped forward, a grizzled veteran. "How do you know they won't shoot us or put us in prison?"
"Because he is Prime. He will keep his word if we do. Understand, if you come with me to the colony, you will have to live by the rules. You will be bound by the Matrix because you will have to give your oath to it as well as him. If there is anything we can achieve short of this tell me. Show me the way to that path and I will consider taking it."
No one spoke up. There was nothing to say. He looked at them, then Arrow. "You have been strong and served well. Now its time to put that aside and take up a new path in a new place, one in which you can live among our own kind in our own culture. There is no caste system. You get to choose what you want to do. There is plenty there and there are families. Tens of thousands of Decepticons live in peace and harmony with the Autobots. It is what it should have been on Cybertron. I don't expect you to like this. I don't in some part of my processor but I won't fight a war without a point. There no longer is any point to opposition.
"I will let you choose however. If you can't come with me, I will release you to Cyclonus or the pirate groups. If you wish to take that route, step forward now."
It was silent as the mechs and femmes looked at each other. No one spoke. But no one stepped forward either. He looked at them, then nodded. "Very well. We will go together."
And they did.
-0-TBC January 7, 2014