The Diego Diaries: Here, There and Back Again 3 (604) edited
-0-Diego
Ratchet stood silently a moment taking in the new information. Ironhide was going to help organize a defense of the new world until the system survey and garrison installation was complete. The infants would be gathered up by relevant family members including that of the twins and Blue. All three had already deployed to Gliese 581 g.
He turned to the humans, then nodded. "Call from home. When you are the doctor, you are never off duty." He grinned, then looked at the four femmes standing beside him, two very tall masculine appearing femmes and two small petite individuals. He grinned, then turned to the humans. "It is a ratio of 1 to 12 that some believe constitutes the portion of our population that might be considered femmes … female. We call our females femmes. There are four here to tell you the tale of their lives. This one is Gypsy, the head of femme, elderly, sparkling and youngling medicine on Mars and director of the Metroplex Hospital. This is Neo who works in the Sparkling Day School and has become an expert in the management, care and education of the infants therein. These two are soldiers, special ops soldiers who stayed on Cybertron through all the enormity of the war and beyond to harass the 'Cons and protect the civilians. This is Elita-1 who commands a special femme guerrilla team as well as co-directs intelligence and special ops for the armed forces with Jazz. This is her compatriot and all around pain bringer, Arcee. They will tell you their particulars in their own way. You can see what it means to be awesome at arms when they tell you."
Arcee smirked at Ratchet, then glanced at Elita. Elita smirked, then squeezed Neo's shoulders. "After you, my queen," she said with a grin.
Neo looked up, then at the crowd who stared at them with fascination. "Very well," she said stepping forward rather tensely. "I am Neo. I was a high caste from Iacon who was an apprentice on the Council of Ancients, the ruling board of Cybertron and the group that helped pick the Primes. When we were between a Prime, we held the artifact that conferred status upon the recipient, the Creation Matrix, the Autobot Matrix of Leadership. I am forbidden by societal taboos to tell you much about the Matrix but suffice it to say, it is among our most holy relics. It bears a piece of the spark … the soul essence of our creator god, Primus.
"I was part and parcel of the Fall. Through my indifference, my bald neglect, the people suffered and Megatron was inevitable. Even though I went through the Diaspora too running for my life, being insecure forever, it took coming to Mars and spending time around Optimus Prime for me to see the sins I committed..." She paused a moment, then continued. "I was destitute of hope when I threw myself on the mercy of Optimus Prime. I expected punishment for my sins of commission and omission but he granted me mercy. I work every orn to ensure the well being of our people. I would die a thousand deaths to serve them. We are one, united in purpose and hope. Every single individual is important. No one is expendable.
"I am aware of the attitudes and behaviors of your military in relation to our soldiers and your own. I am shocked that it happened and continues. How can you not care about your own kind? Your femmes are brave and serve too. I am clear that like us, there are no rear echelons for safety. Your femmes are in as much danger as your mechs, but its even worse isn't it. They face an enemy from without even as they endure one within.
"No one looks down on me because I identify and display femme attributes. I don't have to. No one looks at me as a femme. It doesn't confer weakness or anything second class upon me to look and act the way I do. No one cares about gender. It isn't an issue among us. We can find many things to differ over but gender or who you love has never been one of them. The mechs accept me and I accept them. I don't know how to explain things better than that." She turned to Gypsy, then the other two. "Size and shape are irrelevant. We are one and gender isn't an issue. Is that how you see it?"
Gypsy and the others nodded. "I agree," the tiny femme said. Gypsy looked at the humans. "I am a genitor of two sons," she began.
"Two of the most outstanding little mechs I might suggest," Ratchet said cutting in.
Everyone nodded with a grin including Gypsy. "I won't argue." She looked at the humans. "I am the designated field doctor of the Wreckers. The Wreckers are a team lead by Springer, our chief of security planet wide who take the suicide missions and many don't come back. They are brave and good. I love them and they love me. The first mission I went on with them was to rescue our people. It was clear that we were going to be attacked and we would all be killed. Everyone we thought we could save, we tried. Families were handing over their babies and children so that they might have a chance to flee. I was there and stayed. I just couldn't leave them. We were one. I was going to stay with them no matter what even though every thought I had was for my sons and my bond.
"There are no safe places from war. I thought I would die. I thought it was the end but we stood up together, all of us. I never felt more love for another than that moment. I don't feel like I am any different from anyone else who serves. What I find terribly sad is the treatment of the women and those who love someone others don't think is right. Why would you allow it to happen to people who are willing to die to defend you? Why would you value them less than any other group when they come to you as volunteers? They volunteer. As a parent, I would be destroyed if one of my sons was mistreated in service and had no way to seek protection and redress. You should be ashamed of yourself. What does a person have to do to be safe and respected, valued and accepted by you?"
Arcee glanced at Elita who nodded. "My name is Arcee and I have been a soldier for longer than your species has lived on the ground. When you were eating bananas in the trees, I was fighting the enemy of peace on my home world. I claim no gender. I don't care what anyone thinks of me. I know my own worth. My friends, our team were on Cybertron the entire length of the war and beyond working to hurt the enemy in the middle of his own territory. We were never caught," she said with a smirk. "We were worried a few times but never caught. We are a crack team, all of us. We fight toe to heel with the rest of the army. If someone put a hand on me, if someone hurt me in any way you would never find their parts. I can't understand this at all. Since when do you have to have a conference to ensure that rape and abuse, bullying and beatings end among your troops? Why do the femmes end up being ignored or forced out and the abusers stay in?"
"We have been watching the generals in the United States military lately doing stupid crap. We know that other flag officers in other countries do the same things. We have seen them break all the rules and nothing happens to them. Yet a woman or man gets hurt and he or she is either ignored or demoted. What the frag is that?" Elita asked as another femme walked in from outside. Elita looked at her, then grinned. "Your turn."
"What's the topic?" Chromia asked.
"Femme abuse in the military. Femme and same gender individuals," Arcee said.
Chromia looked at them, then the humans. Resting her servos on her hips, she frowned at them. "What the frag is wrong with you lot? Why do you even have to have a meeting about this? Someone hurts another person, punish their aft. Put them in prison. Hang them by their tongue," she said stepping to stand next to Elita. "Since when are the efforts of all soldiers not appreciated and supported? Why would women or same gendered men and women be harmed and no one do anything about it? We have discussed this," Chromia said nodding to Elita and Arcee. "What the frag is wrong with you? No one gives a frag and those that do, kick them the frag out! I don't want to be around someone I can't trust and some fragger who has a low opinion about who I love or whatever gender I claim isn't trustworthy. Frag them! Who do you want in your ranks and in the command hierarchy? Bigots, fraggers, liars and cowards or the soldiers who are seeking military careers knowing that doing so might harm them? Why do you help the fuckers as you call them and ignore THEIR VICTIMS!?"
The room was silent as the stared back at the big mechanism glaring at them hotly. No one spoke, no one moved. They sat and stared. Uncomfortably. Had they even an inkling who they were listening to and the injustices they had suffered at the servos of a lunatic regarding this very topic, they would have been even more so.
Chromia shook her helm. "I can soldier circles around any of you fraggers including your elite teams. No one can soldier like we do. Frag you if you have a bias against women or same gender individuals. I don't give a frag what you think but you slagging better show respect. Why don't you give ALL your soldiers respect? It seems to us that the only ones you respect are the bigots, abusers, bullies and aft hats." She moved to stand next to Ratchet. "I don't know about you, Ratchet, but trust isn't something you are given. Its something you earn and there are a aft load of soldiers and sailors from Earth that I don't trust."
Ratchet grinned. "Apparently, no one here got the memo."
Chromia nodded, then looked at Elita and Arcee. "We have a mission." She paused, then looked at the humans. "We're going off to defend you again. And no, you don't have to thank me." She turned and walked out the door after bumping fists with Ratchet. Elita and Arcee did the same and were gone. Ratchet looked at the humans. "You just saw three soldiers that forgot more about being soldiers than any large group of you will ever know. That they skew femme to some is the least interesting thing about them." He looked at Neo and Gypsy. "Does anyone have questions for these fine ladies?"
They did. Many.
-0-At the airfield
"Thanks for venting," Arcee said with a grin. "They needed it."
"If half of what I am hearing is true, they need more than just a slagging," Chromia said as she hoisted her weapons bag over her shoulder. The three walked to a shuttle and entered. The door closed and the shuttle flew upward to go through the Trigger to Gliese 581 g.
-0-On the ground at Gliese 581 g
When the shuttle flew through the bridge, it came upon a settlement that was already growing in complexity. Parked in a stationary orbit over the ground crew, Phobos was serving as the center for the scientists below. A fast refit and a re-utilization of its own facilities made the ship invaluable. It would also serve as the kitchen, rec room, wash rack and sleep station for the garrison that would be stationed there.
On the ground Prime and Wheeljack were at a site fifty-nine miles away studying ground zero of the energon proliferation on planet. They had flown to the spot which had been discovered by the initial preliminary shuttle survey. They had arrived, Prowl, Prime, Wheeljack, Perceptor and Beachcomber in seconds. Springer and Drift were at the touchdown site miles away organizing security and living arrangements for the area.
They exited the shuttle, then paused. The crystals before them were enormous and extremely tall. They were the biggest ever seen by any of them even in the literature. Something had happened here that had created an anomaly, one so fraught with dire consequences that it threatened to escalate the war should it ever become known to the Decepticons.
"What do we do, Wheeljack?" Prowl asked as he slid his servo along the flat nearly white plane of a massive crystal.
Beachcomber scanned the site, then turned to the scientists. They had a short discussion, then Wheeljack turned to Prime and Prowl. "This is ground zero. There is a metallic figure inside these crystals. If we cut them correctly, they will fall away and no one will be harmed. Perceptor and I can do that following this plan," he said holding up his datapad with a grid showing how to dissect the behemoth in front of them utilizing its fracture lines and facets.
"Very well. Is there any indication what is inside?" Prime asked stepping back as Perceptor and Wheeljack retrieved cutting tools from subspace.
"I can't say for sure, Prime, but I believe that the Seeker drone responsible for this is inside this mass of crystals," Wheeljack said. "I would also caution you to stand back. I was trained to create seed energon. It is unstable when exposed to air. If any still is encased here, Percy and I will have to collect it before it is activated."
Prime nodded, then stepped back with the others. Low hums disrupted the silence as the two began to cut on the crystals. Slowly, carefully, they cut off chunks that seemed to slip out of their places easily. They fell to the ground one by one where Prime and Beachcomber gripped them. Picking them up, piling them nearby, the stacks grew as the crystalline structure began to shrink. It would take a while before the dull gray metal of something inside began to emerge. Prowl watched pensively as he considered possible plans to keep this secret.
-0-Diego
Ratchet watched the femmes go after a long question and answer session with the audience. When they were gone, he called for his next speaker. Waiting, he looked at the humans. "Why don't you stand up and stretch?"
A buzz filled the room as they did, stretching, chatting and unwinding from their tension as they waited. They didn't have to wait long. Through the back doors accompanied by a smirking Blurr, a tiny mech walked in cane in servo. He saw Ratchet, then grinned. Waving his servo, Ramcharger greeted the medic. "Ratchet! How the frag are ya? What do you want me to do?" He paused to look at the humans who paused to look at him. They sat down and stilled, waiting for an explanation of the amazing little figure standing before them.
"Ramcharger, this is the group hearing from us about the way of the warrior on Cybertron. When I heard that they wanted to know, I knew I had to have you come and dole out the wisdom," Ratchet said. "This is Ramcharger," Ratchet said turning to the humans. "He was a warrior back in the day, someone who has worked hard all of his life and raised a good son. I know. He's one of my best field medics, the slagger."
"SLAGGING RIGHT! MY SON IS A HERO!" Ramcharger said waving his cane in emphasis. "My boy is a soldier like me. But he's a medic."
"The humans want to know about soldiering, about taking care of your soldiers and being honorable in the ranks. Tell them what you think of bullies and fraggers, Ram." Ratchet sat back to watch the show. He didn't have to wait long.
Ramcharger turned to the humans, then stepped closer. "You never leave a mech behind. You never mistreat a soldier. Ever. You fight with honor or you get the frag out of the way! Let me tell you! I have been in so many battles I can't count them! Why … let me tell you about the battle at the prison not so long ago!" he said as Ratchet nearly fell on the floor laughing.
-0-Gliese 581 g
A few careful cuts removed the last impediment. With the strength of inhuman beings, they pulled the block out of its resting place and into the light of day. When it stopped sliding, they gathered to look. Wheeljack and Perceptor bent close studying the figure. Then they stood and turned to Prime.
"This is the Seeker drone that was seeding this area. It is likely given how close we are to Mars that this drone seeded that planet as well. He looks like he was hurt and without more information I can only speculate, Prime, that he made it to this planet where he fell into malfunction. Notice the metallic canister attached to his hip? That one?" he said pointing out a crushed metallic box that had been held to his side with bolts. "Its crushed. If he fell here and died, the canister if crushed could have unleashed whatever energon was in it. It takes very little to seed a planet. Even one like Mars. The contents appear to have been exposed to the atmosphere which ignited them. All of them must have ignited to create this. This is mass overload, Prime."
Optimus Prime nodded. "What are your recommendations, Wheeljack?"
"Well, I will have to remove the body for autopsy but not before we retrieve those," he said pointing at a number of round pebble-like stones that were encased next to the body of the drone. They were trapped in the crystalline structure, held as if in aspic. "If those are exposed, they will ignite and begin the combustion process that starts seeding."
"What do you need?" Prime asked.
"An air tight metallic box and everyone out of the way," Wheeljack said with a grin.
"Alright," Prime said as the group turned to walk to the shuttle. Finding a box that fit, Wheeljack took it, then walked with Perceptor to the task at servo. It would take about a joor but the energon would be retrieved. The body would as well.
Loading it on the shuttle, Prime and Prowl stepped on board. It would fly to the camp area where the Supremes were arriving to be a part of the security. It would take a while to arrange things there but in time they would board the shuttle and fly back to Mars through the bridge.
-0-TBC January 28, 2014 edited 2-5-14
Given that femmes were added to Transformers in the beginning because no female characters existed, they were rather thinly characterized. It is instructive that Elita was pink. :D I like Chromia because she was supposed to be Ironhide's girlfriend and in my head would be tough as nails.
The femmes in this story as in the IDW world are victims of Jhiaxus and his experiments. There is no gender in TF and it is canon in all universes reiterated in the latest incarnation, TF: Prime. In the IDW idea used here, there is nothing outwardly different in the femmes but because of tampering with their CNA mechs sense it and defer. They don't see it, they sense it. The femmes see themselves as the mechs they originally and still are. It drove Arcee to madness. I like this conflict for them. There will be more human-femme interactions in future.