The Diego Diaries: Going On (610)

-0-Diego

Ratchet watched them go, then turned to the group. Walking to the mike pick ups, he nodded. "That little Seeker infant is our adopted son. He is a little lost child that was taken into the Decepticons for cannon fodder. He is emotionally, physically and psychologically adversely affected by the experience. I brought him in to talk to you for several important reasons.

First, he is a victim of war and neglect, an example of what happens when the system fails someone in it. He is the victim of abuse that wasn't stopped. He was even forced as a child to fight organics. He confessed to me that he was afraid he had killed some in the battles Megatron would order for laughs. I don't know what kind of organics or if his conclusions are real or just fear based. I just know he carries that fear and guilt. On this planet, there are plenty of children who have been forced to fight in wars that they cannot comprehend or understand. No one seems inclined to halt that either.

"Secondly, we are talking about abuse that isn't addressed or attended to and how it causes hurt and trauma for the victims. Sunspot is a victim and his trauma is long term. You don't have to be a child to bear scars of pain and suffering. Your personnel are adults and they face the same situation here. He didn't have a choice in his life and no one stepped up. Sunspot is too young to transform. His transformational process is not mature enough at his age for this to be natural. He can because the Decepticons tampered with him.

"Its the same thing here. People are volunteering to serve, to put their lives and talents on the line for everyone and that is being tampered with by others with ill intentions. What is hard for me to understand is how you don't prevent the behavior that makes life miserable … the abuse and assaults, the havoc that some are delivering to others because they can. How can same gendered people, women, those of minority religious belief and minority races receive abuse and frustration about not getting attention to their hurts and still be a cohesive fighting force? If everyone isn't truly one, how can you complete the mission you are appointed to do? How are you supposed to trust the person next to you when they see you as a punching bag or a target?

"I wanted my son to come here and tell his story because he was hunted by humans when he was on his own for about 200 days. He hid where he could, suffered hunger and has a terrible fear of humans. All organics really. We have taken him to spark and what it takes, Ironhide and I will give. What you have to do is recognize your responsibilities for your own troops. You cannot accept this stuff as the price of doing business. If its more important to protect the image of your forces than the people who are the actual participants, then you have failed your charge.

"We in the Autobots believe that no one gets left behind. We have been at war and have fought battles forever. Literally. No one gets left behind. Yet you are accomplishing that when you fail to do your duty. I want you to see my son because he is the end product of exploitation and abuse that was allowed to happen. Shame on whoever did this to him and shame on you if you don't fix this problem without abusing the victims yourselves. Again." He turned to looked out the doors for a moment, then nodded. Stepping back in, he grinned slightly. "I have two speakers who will be here briefly but they have things to say that might interest you." Glancing back, he nodded.

Walking into the hangar to pause beside Ratchet, Prowl and Paragon appeared. They stood together, oddly similar and dignified, then turned to Ratchet a moment. They chatted together, none of them showing any outside notion of doing so, then they turned to the group.

"I am Prowl, second-in-command to the Prime of Cybertron and the Autobot Armed Forces. This is Paragon who is is a shift director of our operational center on Mars both during my own or as my stand in. We are here to address this group out of concern for the ranks, both yours and ours.

"I have been a soldier for the majority of my life. I was a police detective before that. It was my duty to seek out the truth, to solve problems and crimes as well as securing the peace and well being of everyone. In our own army, there are channels through which the ranks can seek redress for their grievances. For us to allow grievances or criminal behavior to exist in our ranks is to endanger everything we do and everyone who does it. We are different from the Decepticons for whom this behavior is standard operations.

"They have a practice of the strongest leading while the weaker soldiers follow. They use brutality and abuse to make their points. I am aware that Sunspot came here to speak to you. It took all of his personal courage to do that because he is terrified of humans and other organics. He came here to tell the things that had happened to him because he was concerned for your soldiers. So are we. My colleague, Paragon will speak as well." Prowl glanced at the silent figure beside him.

Paragon looked at the crowd, organics who were small yet had defeated Megatron twice and killed the Fallen. It was inconceivable but true. "Less than a week ago of your time, I was a Decepticon commander setting up my own base 20 light years from here. I was digging in to carve out a sphere of influence for myself before turning my attentions on the recovery of my home world.

"When it was made clear to me that this would be impossible given the strength and composition of Prime's colony, I had to consider what to do about the new data. There was in the end only one solution and that was to stand down and join the colony to defend it. Hopefully someday we can retake Cybertron from Megatron and rebuild our home world. The only way that will ever happen is in the company of the only legal leader of our world, Optimus Prime. Because he believes in the sanctity of every life, we do that with a unity that was never possible in the Decepticons. I will tell you that the difference is important to me and I appreciate the new paradigm more than I thought I would.

"It is standard practice in the Decepticons to allow abuse and to allow harm because it breaks down the possibility of rivalries to power as well as weakens the body overall which is what Megatron requires. There are no channels through which to appeal the conditions of your service. Brutality is encouraged. No one has a chance to get redress for their hurts because this sort of behavior is encouraged. It subtracts rather than adds to the ability to fulfill missions to the degree that we required. Decepticons always outnumbered and too often outgunned the Autobots but we never defeated them in the end. That should be instructive to you. No one trusts the leadership because the possibility of dying was always front and center to everyone. It undermines gravely the potential for success.

"Megatron has made a practice of decimation of troops to keep discipline. He will go to a base, line up the soldiers, then kill every tenth one in front of the others. It only takes two or three deaths to make the point. Brutality of all manner is encouraged and there are autonomous groups like the Decepticon Justice Division who have carte blanche to hunt down anyone and eradicate them for offenses as trivial as not being fervent enough in their allegiance to the Cause.

"It debases the fighting forces to allow this behavior. It demoralizes enough of the members of a unit that it affects the whole. I am aware of what is happening in militaries on this planet. You allow it at your own peril. I never allowed it in my battle groups because if nothing else, it undermines your ability to field your army to the highest degree possible. It is unsuitable for a professional army." He glanced at Prowl who nodded. Both turned to look at Ratchet.

"Is Optimus off world or can he come and lay a little magic out for the plebes?" Ratchet asked to general laughter.

Prowl smirked slightly. "He is off world."

"Slagger," Ratchet said. "I guess that this ends the presentation. At least at my end. I hope you understand that allowing this sort of thing to happen in the ranks is not only detrimental to your mission preparadeness but it has lifelong reprecussions for the victims. My son is a victimized soldier. That he is a child as well compounded his trauma. There are dedictated individuals in your militaries that work hard to do their job. Help them. Protect them and punish their abusers. Even verbal abuse leaves a mark. Thank you, General Morshower and Colonel Fulton for the opportunity to work with you. Prowl and I will be available for the final document proofreading and any further discussion."

Morshower stood up and nodded. "Thank you, Commander Ratchet. Commander Prowl. Paragon."

They nodded back. "Our pleasure, General," Ratchet said.

Morshower nodded, then looked at the group. "Why don't we take a break right now and meet up for the summary in about 30 minutes."

The group began to stand up, a murmur of conversations filling the vast room. Morshower followed by Fulton walked to the door with the three bots who paused to look down. "Thank you, Ratchet for your efforts here. I have to tell you … Sunspot makes my heart hurt every time he talks about his life back then."

Ratchet nodded. "He has love and comfort now. The rest he tells us a bit at a time. I try and not think about the failure of his growing up by everyone who could have stepped in to stop it. I shudder to think of the infants on this world facing the same hell."

Morshower nodded. "Thank you all for your help."

They nodded, then Prowl turned to Morshower. "We would like to discuss a new development at your convenience."

Morshower nodded. "This will occupy the day, but tonight I will be free."

"I will contact you then," Prowl said.

They chatted a moment, then took their leave, the three tall mechanisms walking away to the Embassy and Mars beyond. Morshower watched them go, then turned to Fulton. "What fresh hell has come to our doors, John?"

Fulton shook his head. "Something ghastly and deadly I am sure."

Morshower grinned. "No doubt," he said as he turned to walk back into the hangar.

-0-Autobot City, Mars

They stepped out and walked from the airport to the Fortress down the highway. Entering, snarking with Ramcharger, they made their way back to the command table to sit. It was quiet a moment, then Prowl leaned back. "I can only assume that Sunspot was as tragic as ever?"

"He was but in a good way. I expected that he would tell his story but a human woman decided to make friends. It was the best thing possible. She must be a counselor or something. I have to send her my regards. They had a good chat together which was a major milestone. He's terrified of organics to the point where even writing to his human penpal is a trauma." Ratchet sat back to relax. "He did good. He gave his account of his service and got to meet a human who didn't scare him."

"Good. Baby steps," Prowl said with a nod.

"He is the living embodiment of someone who wasn't spared from abuse and its consequences. I hope it helped," Ratchet said. "Ironhide looked like he was going to pass out."

"That baby makes everyone a little bit tipsy when he opens up," Prowl said with a nod.

"I probably should go look for him. How is it out in the hinterlands?" Ratchet asked as he stood up to leave.

"We better have a plan to move that planet before we regret it," Prowl said.

Ratchet nodded, then grinned. "Re-watch 'Dark of the Moon', he said, then turned to walk out. They watched him go, then Paragon turned back to Prowl. "'Dark of the Moon'?" he asked.

Prowl grinned slightly. "Long story," he said as they returned to the task at hand.

Ratchet walked through the building, then outside heading for the energy that was Ironhide somewhere nearby. He walked through the streets, then turned toward the park. When he got there Ironhide was sitting on a bench eating a treat with Sunspot. As Ratchet reached them, Sunspot looked up and smiled. "ADA!"

"SUNSPOT!" Ratchet replied. He sat on the other side of the youngling kissing his helm gently. "You were wonderful. That lady was nice."

He sat on the bench staring at his ice cream. "She's organic."

"She was. She was also nice anyway," Ratchet replied.

He didn't answer as he ate his ice cream. Ironhide watched him, then looked at Ratchet. :Little mech has been happy since we got back. Earth makes him nervous:

:He needs to join the line: Ratchet said with a grin. :Do you have to go back to Gliese?:

:Not today. Atar is in charge there and its shaping up well: Ironhide said.

:Good. Let's sit and eat ice cream for a while: Ratchet said relaxing.

They did.

-0-TBC February 2, 2014 edited 2-6-14