Transformers Regenerated: Unicron Saga XX, Chapter Nine

EDITED 5/14/2017 Patched a minor continuity error regarding Rung

9. BREACHES IN SECURITY

--The bridge of the Lost Light--

    "He's a liar... she's been placed in an asylum twice... I arrested him for impersonating a senior officer... I don't trust him ever since that turbofox incident... he owes me money."

    Ultra Magnus' frown deepened as his optics went further down the list.

    "She used to be a Decepticon... I don't trust him or him, especially not in their combined form... he's a wanted arsonist... he disobeyed a traffic sign... and if he's who I think he is, never, ever let him near a crossbow."

    Slouched in the command chair, Rodimus stifled a yawn as he turned to look at Magnus. "All that out of two hundred and nine crew members?"

    "No, those were just the 'A's."

    Rodimus sighed. "I swear, Magnus, you would arrest someone with their badge at an angle if it made you suspicious enough."

    "As a violation of the Military Regalia Act, of course!"

    "What happened to your whole 'loosening up' thing?" Drift asked, standing to the side. "With Tyrest gone, I thought you'd be a little less... strict."

    Magnus folded his arms over his chest. "Old habits die hard, I suppose." He then shot a look of disapproval at Rodimus. "I still don't approve of you allowing Decepticons to sign on."

    "The war's over, Magnus. Our factions are just... they're just symbols we wear now. They don't mean anything more than that. Besides, I've only seen, like, one or two sign up."

    "One Decepticon is one too many, if you ask me."

    Rodimus waved a dismissive hand. "Hey, why else do you think I put Red Alert at the door? He's worse than you are when it comes to trusting people. But he wasn't made director of security for no reason."

    Magnus rolled his eyes but decided it best to drop the subject. "So, any idea where we're going to start?"

    "Well, Drift's found a map--"

    "Don't tell me," Magnus said exasperatedly. "He found it in the stars."

    "Hey," Drift said, "I checked my findings with Perceptor and Rewind and they thought I might have found something. Besides, it's not like you could've done better."

    Magnus simply shook his head. "Forget it. I just hope you know what you're doing, Rodimus."

    "I do. Trust me, I do. Everything will go fine."

--Outside--

    "You're gonna have to let me check your briefcase, Brainstorm."

    "You're joking," the Autobot inventor said. "Don't you have any idea what's in it?"

    "No, which is precisely the point," Red Alert grunted. "I have to check it to make sure you're not smuggling weapons."

    "Weapons? Oh, no, no, no, my friend. Try the end of the world as we know it. Besides...." Brainstorm held up a metal card. "Rodimus has had me exempted from all security checks. See? It's even got a rubsign."

    Red Alert scowled at the card as if it had just insulted his mother. "Fine, you can go on board. But if you do end up opening that briefcase and killing half the crew...."

    Brainstorm chuckled. "Don't worry about that happening."

    As the inventor boarded the ship, Red Alert called on the next person in line. A skinny orange mech came up, carrying a large box.

    As Red Alert read his identity card, the security officer rubbed his chin. "'Rong of the Pious Pools'... I think I know you."

    "It's supposed to be 'Rung,' and I would hope so; not only have we served on this ship together before, but I've also been your psychiatrist."

    "Oh, that's right! I'm sorry I didn't recognize you--"

    "For six centuries."

    "...Right. So, what's in the box?"

    "Trinkets, mainly," Rung said, lifting up the lid for Red Alert to see. "I like to make model ships in my spare time. I've got the Ark, the Steelhaven, the Longbow...."

    "Wait, we've been at war for a thousand years. How did you manage to hold onto all of these?"

    Rung smiled. "I guess I just have a knack for keeping out of harm's--"

    "Incoming!"

    The warning came too late and before Red Alert knew it, both he and Rung were sent tumbling into the ship as a purple fighter crashed into them.

*  *  *

    "Yaaaarghhh!"

    Disoriented as he was, Cyclonus could still hear Whirl's raging screams. Emerging from his alt mode, he looked up ahead to see the blue attack helicopter knifing towards him, guns ablaze.

    Before Cyclonus could make a move, he was held back by a strong head. He looked over his shoulder to see the one he knew as Red Alert, an unpleasant look on the Autobot's face.

    "I told Prime that you would get up to no good once you were free," the officer muttered. "He really should have listened to me."

    Cyclonus sneered at him. "In case you haven't noticed, one of your own is on a mad strafing run. Are you going to take care of him, or are you simply biased towards--"

    Without taking his eyes off Cyclonus, Red Alert raised a gun at Whirl and released a single stun ray. The blue helicopter came crashing down onto the deck.

    "Trust me," Red Alert said darkly. "If I was biased, we would not be speaking right now."

*  *  *

    Rodimus huffed as he paced back and forth on the bridge. He hadn't even begun his first day of captaincy and already he had two unruly crewmates to discipline.

    "Cyclonus, Whirl, you're both better than this. The war's over; there's no reason to keep fighting."

    "Hey, he started it!" Whirl protested, pointing a claw at Cyclonus. "I was just minding my own business, spending some time with my friends, when he barged in and started attacking me!"

    "I did not attack you," Cyclonus snarled. "And those were not your friends, they were Sweeps. Dead Sweeps. I mistook their energy signature for Scourge's, which is why I 'barged' in. Then you set the place aflame and started chasing me. At no point did I attack you or provoke you in any way."

    "It was still your fault. If you hadn't shown up, I wouldn't have set things on fire."

    Rodimus groaned as he rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You two are acting like sparklings. Look, maybe it's best if you simply forgave and forget. Misunderstandings like this happen all the time, and they're not worth being at each others' throats over. So if I ever catch you two trying to kill each other again--"

    "Wait," Ultra Magnus said, speaking up for the first time. "You're letting them onto the ship?"

    "Why not? I did promise that I would be picking up waifs and strays, didn't I?"

    "Yes, but... you do realize what you're putting up with?"

    Rodimus shrugged. "Consider it me doing Prime a favor. No sense in letting him put up with more trouble."

    "More?"

    "Starscream's his co-leader, remember?"

    Ultra Magnus considered this before giving Rodimus a curt nod. "That is rather considerate of you."

    Rodimus then turned back to Cyclonus and Whirl. "So, yeah, there's your warning. Dismissed; we'll be taking off soon."

    Wordlessly, the two mechs turned and walked off the bridge. Once they were several feet down the corridor, Whirl turned around and offered Cyclonus a claw.

    "Y'know, captain's got a point. That little spat of ours, it was just a stupid little mix-up-- mostly on your part-- so how about we shake and make up, eh?"

    Cyclonus said nothing at first. Then, he grabbed Whirl's claw and pulled the ex-Wrecker into a hug, allowing him to lean in menacingly to the latter's audio receptor.

    "I'm going to kill you," he hissed. "Maybe not today, maybe not for a while, but I will kill you. And don't ever think for a moment that you will see it coming."

    With that, he broke off from the Autobot, who simply regarded him with his single optic before turning and walking away from the ancient warrior.