(no subject)

[ultramatum]

Who: Ultra Magnus & the Autobots
Where: Autobot Desert Base/Shipyard
When: After the robot fight and Ratchet's arrival to Earth
What: Ultra Magnus checks in with the troops after the fight.
Warnings: ???

Thread starters within.

Comments

[deadpartners]

Man, this is just turning into a cascade of things Arcee doesn't want to talk about. At the mention of Rodimus, Arcee sinks into the berth wearily, cycling air through her vents. She doesn't look at Magnus.

"No. He's...still AWOL."

[ultramatum]

"Have you considering allowing me to question Drift directly about this? I'm certain he knows something about Rodimus' situation he isn't telling us." He pauses, his expression taking on a look of mild disgust, "I imagine an ex-con like him would have no qualms withholding information from superior officers."

He taps the datapad with the back on one hand, "I know we previously discussed pursuing Rodimus would be a waste of resources, but it may influence our relationship with CONDOR if they discover we are unable to keep track of our own troops."

[deadpartners]

Arcee's gaze snaps back to Magnus and she sits up, quickly -- too quick; she feels a sharp ripple of pain through her midsection but she ignores it, her optics blazing.

"Drift is an Autobot," she snaps, a snarl at the edge of her voice, "and if I find out you've been interrogating him like he's some kind of prisoner, then I will take disciplinary action, Magnus. Drift made a mistake, and he came clean. I'd trust Drift with my life -- and I trust him to tell me the truth."

She's still raw from the conversation she'd had with Ratchet and she's angry, angry that Magnus would even suggest something about one of their own, let alone someone she trusts as much as Drift. She gives Magnus a hard look, trying not to vent hard from the strain of bolting upright like that.

"Am I understood, Magnus?"

[ultramatum]

Magnus straightens up, a little taken aback at her hasty response. The insinuation that he would go against her orders at this stage in their mission was frankly insulting.

"Commander, I have not taken any action beyond the normal demands of my station, per your orders, but I urge you to consider the suspicion of Drift being completely unaware of Rodimus' whereabouts considering their history. The two have frequently collaborated on similarly questionable excursions and it would be remiss to ignore the precedence here."

[deadpartners]

On some level, Arcee knows she's crossed a line here, that she'd gone just a little overboard, but she's still nettled, still agitated. And beyond that, she doesn't want to think that Drift's still lying to her. It just...it doesn't make sense.

"Yes, I know. And it's apparent that that's what happened here, again. But we already found him out and he came clean about it, Magnus. What reason would he have to lie to me twice?"