re_alignment | Audio [joint post with Prowl and Skids]

[An audio channel opens up to the sounds of a minor struggle. Metal shrieks briefly, then a loud thud follows. It isn't long before the scuffle is reduced to a painful sounding creak. Any medic could recognize that ring as the dangerously strained hyperflexion of an arm joint, and anyone who's met him might recognize the protests of a just-returned-to-normal Skids.]

Ow--OW, hey, its not like I wanted to eat your spark. Primus, it tasted terrible.

[A less than pleasant new voice cuts in over this.]

Do any of the seven theocrats in charge wish to explain how being attacked five minutes away from one of your 'temples' is supposed to constitute a Haven?!

[The question is rhetorical, there's about a five second pause before the voice chimes in again. And boy, is it as charming as ever!]

The perpetrator in question has been restrained, and I suggest someone direct me to where he can be deposited before this escalates any further.

[In the background, Skids can still be heard struggling clearly.]

Is this because I ate somebody else's spark? Please tell me I didn't. No. I'm serious. I need to know this.

Who arrives carrying stasis cuffs, anyhow?

[The feed ends.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[There's an air of indifference to Knock Out. He doesn't expect much, but things are complicated here. He says nothing.

As they enter HQ, Ultra Magnus pauses, then shakes his head.]

My office would be more ideal. Follow me.

[He has expectations that perhaps no one should overhear them. So Magnus leads the way until his door can be closed.]

[Prowl does so, wordlessly.

[His expression alleviates slightly as the group shrinks to just the two of them, not that it's much of an improvement. It goes from firmly irritated to just.. cold.]

[As they enter, the interior of the office gets a brief, clinical examination. An optic ridge quirks up slightly.]

Did you help make all this?

Most of the building was constructed before my arrival. I furnished my own office.

[The colder approach does not surprise him, at the very least.

Ultra Magnus folds his arms.]

I meant the Police Force.

[A curt reply, but he quickly moves on from that point.]

I don't think I need to explain to you all the ways this incident could have gone poorly.

[If he wrote it down on paper, his list of calculated potential disasters could wrap around this building. Several times.]

It was also here before my arrival. I only came into command of it a few days ago.

[There's a narrowed look from Ultra Magnus.]

Yes. I'm certain I could say the same for you.

Could you? Next time, I'll be sure to bring some Engex and a rotary buffer for the next lucky individual that tries to kill someone.

[Lost Light crew or not, he expected Magnus to be a little more reasonable with this. He, of all people, should understand that they needed to be more forceful under some circumstances.]

I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt, Magnus. I'm going to assume that this mess was dropped into your hands already disorganized. Disorganized enough to allow something like Sparkeaters to roam freely. In a location where it's self-proclaimed leaders seem perfectly content to sit on their thrones and do nothing.

[Despite the bit of acid, one could probably tell Prowl was more concerned than actually angry.]

Edited 2013-03-29 15:31 (UTC)

You have just arrived, thus I understand you have certain expectations. So I will explain in summary best I can without involving specifics.

There are things that happen here against our wills. Perhaps for a month, our very species will change on us, either on the whim of a Firstforged or a mistake of theirs or from the energy of the Lambda. Cybertronians as humans, Earth animals, or a Sparkeater. Humans as inanimate objects.

As it stands, I will not hold Skids responsible for actions he had no control over. Had I known there was a Sparkeater, it would have been dealt with. I am not thrilled that he attempted to kill you, and I understand why you... had him in cuffs. [He does. His emotions got the better of them. They seem to when it comes to the crew.] But I refuse to arrest him under circumstances in which he had no control over himself.

...Rest assured, I have varying opinions of the Firstforged and their planet.

[Mostly? He despises being here.

But he's not about to share that or why.]

But yes. Things have been disorganized.

I'd still recommend keeping a tracker on him in case the problem surfaces again. For his sake as well as everyone else's.

[If this happens again, the next person that gets attacked may just go shoot him if they aren't eaten first. But Skids didn't concern him insomuch as the bigger problem, so he leaves it at that.]

It's clear enough that we're not going to get much order here from the Firstforged themselves. That is the general consensus I've been getting from you and the others. Assuming it's true, any semblance of order is going to need to come from the refugees.

Your police force will need to be larger and more well-organized to be more effective in an area as large as this.

[Judging from the size of the HQ and the distance he crossed from the opposite end of the Haven? He was concerned.]

It'll be dealt with.

[Which may or may not be a statement of agreement with Prowl. Ultra Magnus intends on talking to Skids, at the very least.]

I do not know how our existence affects the Firstforged. I do know this: our ability to do uphold the law is often determined by their need to punish their own... marked, as it were. This is especially the case with those marked by Megatronus.

I do not disagree on any point, though.

[...]

[That little fact is none too comforting to hear, though he keeps his expression distant.]

Perhaps once things are more outlined you can have a more solid ground with which to deal with them.

That said, I'm more than willing to assist you in straightening out this mess. I will need more information before I can give you any specific solutions, but there is something here. I can see some potential.

Overlord was here.

[Ultra Magnus lifts his head a little, glancing away. The subject is unpleasant, but he feels it would be an appropriate example.]

Out of boredom, he held Perceptor hostage. Tortured him. Waited until people came to stop him. I attempted to organize the group, but too many were eager to leap in blind. They paid for that, many with their lives.

Eventually, we were able to take him down and put him in confinement until we could determine what to do with him. Because he was marked by Megatronus, he was let go. There was nothing that we could do.

Often I find it is those marked by him that commit the most crimes, and yet we are unable to do much to them. At this time, we are working to develop procedures around that with the law committee.

Your assistance will no doubt improve our standing. I know that for a fact.

[You had him at "Overlord was here".]

[That's a very distinct narrowing of his optics. Whatever low opinion he had of the Firstforged with regards to their leadership was just docked a few more levels. That.. What could he even say to that? Anyone that didn't have a pocket calculator for a brain could recognize that Overlord was a threat that needed to be locked up.]

That is insanity.

[And more importantly, it was positively anarchic and irrational. All words that Prowl was hoping he never had to use to describe where he was currently taking residence.]

I don't disagree.

[Ultra Magnus's hands are curled into tight fists. It's still a sore point for him. Overlord, Fortress Maximus, Garrus 9 -- and then what happened here.

Things out of his control, for one reason or another.]

I will gather all relevant reports for you, if you feel the need to go over previous encounters and unusual situations on this planet.

I won't hesitate to make you a part of this enforcement team if it's what you want, Prowl. But you need to know everything first.

Of course. I will go over all the information as soon as I receive it.

[Was there any question he wanted to stay here? Where else would he go? He certainly wasn't going to loaf around on his own.]

This situation needs to be taken control of. It will happen through violence if not through order.

[And he'd rather not have any more Civil Wars if he can help it.]

Very good. I will have it arranged and organize an office for you as soon as I'm able to.

[He pauses, then scowls a little more than usual.]

It will not come to that.

There's been enough.

Audio [joint post with Prowl and Skids]

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