thisavrou | [VIDEO][001] - Backdated to Magnus' Arrival

[The video feed flickers to life, and despite the commotion, it's very much intentional. For those of you who know Riptide, you can see him frantically trying to escape from two hands that about as big as he is. Finally, one hand seizes Riptide and slams him to the floor. With some stability now, the camera is able to focus on Ultra Magnus. For those of you who don't know him, prepare to be bored. For those of you who do know him, it's possible that he's much much bigger than you remember, having had a few necessary upgrades recently.]

[He clears his vocalizer.]

Attention to all those who receive this broadcast. My name is Ultra Magnus. I have recently come aboard this ship and have been given the position of bailiff and parole officer. Let it be known that I have served as an officer of the law prior to my enlistment aboard the Moira, and as such, I promise that I will treat my duties and responsibilities with the utmost care, respect, and diligence that is befitting the position. I am fair and even-handed, and I look forward to working with all of you and becoming a productive member of the community.

That said, I have in my custody the one known as Riptide. He is a former comrade of mine, who served aboard the same ship as I did. Some of you may know him, and I am obligated to inform you that trusting this individual is a huge mistake. He is, as of now, being apprehended for being an accessory to mutiny.

[If Riptide wriggles, Magnus quickly presses his considerable weight down on him to make him stop.]

As I am still unfamiliar with the ship, I wish to know where the brig is located. I also wish to know everything about the due process aboard, as I intend to have this...this...ne'er-do-well answer for his crimes against his chain of command. In addition, if there are any forms and paperwork associated with the booking of prisoners so that they can be properly processed, I will more than happily fill out any and all necessary forms.

Again, I hope to make your acquaintance and let's all be sure to follow the new rules and expectations set forth by our current caregivers.

Magnus out.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Hello Magnus. Have a very angry looking little girl on your video feed. Sitting in a hospital bed, by the looks of it.]

What are you doing?! Let Riptide go!

I'm afraid I have a job to do. I am sorry if you are his friend, but he has to answer for his choice of allegiance.

No he doesn't. We don't attack people on this ship for things they did back home - that's not allowed.

[Well. It's not really a hard-and-fast rule, to be honest, but it's something people generally keep to. And as someone with an enormous bounty on her head, it's really in Robin's best interest to keep things that way.]

If anything, you should be under arrest for attacking him! So let him go, or else I'll...

[She cuts off her own threat. This is a big robot, after all - and she's not really sure what she could even do to him.]

Young lady, I assure you that everything I am doing is in accordance with Cybertronian by-laws. I apologize if you are his friend, as I'm sure this revelation must come as a shock to you. But as his commanding officer, I have a duty to my crew, to those his actions caused harm to, to apprehend him and get to the bottom of this.

I promise he will be treated well.

I don't care about your laws. I don't care about any laws, or your duty or your crew.

[Sorry Magnus, your stoic sense of duty have fallen on deaf ears.]

What you're doing is wrong. We're supposed to feel safe on this ship - if you punish him for things he did back home, then other people will do that too. I can't let that happen!

Let him go, or I'll- I'll pull all your wires out! I mean it.

Edited 2016-08-04 19:18 (UTC)

I do not wish to cause you any distress, Miss. My crew is important to me. My captains, and everyone that serves aboard our ship is someone I have considered to be a comrade. I have fought many battles beside them. We've fought a war together.

...I do not expect you to understand.

But Riptide has betrayed my...all of our trust. And he was not alone in doing so. It is my duty to see this through to the end, no matter how much this displeases me.

I am sorry. For what it's worth, Riptide was my comrade as well.

No you don't understand!

[She glaring at her MID so hard right now. Her eyes are starting to tear up - she really didn't need this added stress right now.]

If you can just show up and bring people to justice, then what am I supposed to do if someone from my world shows up? If you do this... you're saying that it's okay for one of them to just kill me if they find me here! That's what the laws are where I come from.

[Whether Riptide did it or not is a moot point here, as far as she's concerned. She does like the guy (which is partly why she's willing to say so much about herself to someone so clearly invested in absolute justice), but her primary motivations are selfish.]

I don't care what he did - you can't just punish him like that here. I-I won't let you.

Regardless of circumstances, murder is still wrong. As an officer of the law, I would defend your right to live.

[He says this simply, as a matter of fact.]

I do not know your circumstances and I will not presume to know them. I am merely making a blanket statement. I do not wish anyone harm.

You're missing the point! If you can bring your own laws onto the ship, so can everyone else - that's why you can't do this.

[Which is to say nothing about the fact that Magnus probably wouldn't be able to stop the people she's actually afraid of. The vice-admirals of her world's marines are terrifying.]

And I do wish someone harm - you. If you don't stop this, I'll break you to pieces! I mean it!

I am bound by my chain of command, Miss. I have a duty to perform and that involves Riptide being brought in to find out what he knows.

I am sorry. I do not enjoy this. In fact, I wish this weren't happening at all.

Riptide was a good comrade.

You don't have to do this! You can stop it right now!

[And if he doesn't, then she sort of hopes someone makes an example of him. People can't be allowed to do this sort of thing.]

Edited 2016-08-04 20:39 (UTC)

...May I ask you a question?

You're free to decline to answer if you wish.

What?

[That's not a no... but she definitely reserves the right to not answer it, depending on what the question is.]

Have you ever been betrayed by someone you thought was your comrade? Your friend?

I ask...because I considered Riptide my friend. This is why I don't enjoy doing this. Why I wish circumstances were different.

Prior to this, I had no qualms with Riptide.

Yeah. Lots of times.

[Her voice is cold. She understands the sting of betrayal far too well for someone as young as she is.

Whether it's being sold out be the kindly old lady she had been working for, or overhearing the family that had taken her in talking about selling her. She was once taken in by a pirate captain, only to be immediately sold out as soon as the military turned their eyes on his ship. She knows how much it sucks.]

That doesn't make this okay. You don't have to be friends with him, but you can't do what you're doing now.

I am sorry you had to endure the pain that coincides with it.

However...if you could get answers from those that betrayed you, wouldn't you wish to do so?

No.

[Admittedly, though, their reasons were never really a secret.]

And I definitely wouldn't attack them for it.

Especially not here. There are a lot of people on this ship who can only live here because they aren't being punished for the crimes they did before. I wouldn't risk all that just because I hate them.

I see...

I am responsible for the lives of my crew, as are my captains. Unfortunately...I am tasked with finding answers to questions such as these. On that note, I find myself disagreeing.

However...your reasoning is sound. I have no desire to jeopardize anyone's way of life.

Well that's what you're doing.

[There isn't an ounce of sympathy in her voice.]

You justice people are all the same. You follow your stupid laws no matter how many people get hurt because of it. Go to hell.

You're free to think of me as you will.

Once I have taken Riptide to our respective commanding officers, my work will be done and he will be free to go about his business.

[VIDEO][001] - Backdated to Magnus' Arrival

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