[ti]Ep 3[/ti]Policy Changes [Closed]

[Prowl]

Week Two, Day Three

Prowl’s Personal Quarters...

One Day After Format...

Losses were an unavoidable consequence of any armed conflict.

But what had happened to Ratchet was beyond what Prowl had ever expected to occur. The strategist had planned for what seemed like every outcome, every contingency. But this...and he had been far away on another continent, chasing down leads to try and prevent something like this from ever happening again. Hell, how had this even happened to begin with?! Was there a major lapse of security that Red Alert had failed to see, that Prowl had failed to see?! Or was this an attack of opportunity, which meant MECH had a way to detect Cybertronians from regular Earth vehicles?!

The not knowing...that killed him. But what killed him the most was knowing that his original programming was to protect and serve, and he had failed in that to the detriment of losing arguably the most skilled doctor and surgeon Cybertron had ever seen. That was what cut deepest into his spark.

“RRRRAAARRRGHHHH!!!!!”

With a sudden shout of rage, Prowl turned to the closest object within his personal quarters, a table. That table became the unfortunate target of his rage as he grabbed it by the end with one servo, and with a mighty heave tossed it towards the wall where it impacted with a loud CRASH! Fortunately for the table, it remained intact, though the stack of datapads upon it went flying, scattering and impacting into the wall and floor with smaller crashes. Prowl did not stay to see the outcome, he was moving.

He needed to prevent this from ever happening to anyone ever again. But there was one key obstacle that would prevent him from implementing his more effective strategies. This obstacle was good natured at heart, almost innocent in some respects, at least he was when Prowl had originally met him. Sure, over time he had come to understand the realities of warfare, but still...deep down he was merely a librarian from Iacon.

The strategist stalked down the hallways of Omega One, passing doors until he came to his target. He raised a closed servo and pounded on the door, not caring if he woke anyone. This was important, what was decided here could decide the futures of everyone within this base. Hell, it could decide the outcome of the entire war.

[Optimus Prime]

The door to Optimus' quarters was finicky at best.

It had always protested in one way or another since the formation of Omega One, sometimes stalling momentarily as it slid aside on its mounting, or merely shuddering in the process. To some, having the Prime's quarters closed off by something borderline broken was weird, the idea that the leader of their entire faction should have the 'best' or other nonsense instead. Truth be told, Optimus did not CARE about such things. It a minor inconvenience that took so very little effort to apply an extra second or two to his transition to or from his quarters. However, just the day before it had been damaged further.

Slammed aside, no extra second being offered... when he finally processed what had occurred to Ratchet he had grabbed the door violently and rammed it aside with far more force than was even remotely needed. It left some crushed damage to the edge of the frame, marking where an over forceful grasp had compressed. Since then, the door would be perpetually broken, and in a borderline mirror of the day before it was roughly grabbed and shoved aside with a scrapped slam that left new scratches along the concrete floor.

It was well apparent Optimus did not appreciate being disturbed in such a way, especially not by Prowl right now.

The Prime's frame filled the doorway in an imposing stance, blocking off access to the inner room that acted as a sort of office. The modest table and chairs as well as storage were visible slightly around the gaps that were not obscured, with the faintest edge of green tinted light visible on the floor from the terminal screen that was affixed to the nearby wall. By posture alone, it was rather apparent he was not currently compliant with the idea of the other mech trying to enter.

"What do you want Prowl."

Terse words, bitter and hollow with a displeased note on its underside. While he said this, Optimus' helm rose, looking down upon the other Cybertronian with irritation. Oh. He knew DAMN well what was coming. He needn't truly ask such a thing. The second his door was pushed aside and he realized who it was, Optimus slammed himself on guard for the barrage. More likely than not there was going to be snarled words, angry comments, and propositions for far more aggressive retaliation tactics. Means to assure this never happened again at the cost of human lives more likely than not. It would be far easier to merely cut off his actions here and now before he had a chance to speak, growl out a 'I am not currently interested in humoring your propositions', yet he tightened his jaw instead.

Wounds were fresh, hurt and ache bit at his spark... in a way Optimus just endured the death of his longest lasting friend, as well as arguably the most vital individual to keep their team alive and functional. The strike to them all was profound, both tactical and emotional, and Prowl was treading into rough waters by choosing to dare approach this when barely even twenty-four hours had passed.

Ire burned in his eyes, the thinned lens plate creating a piercing look.

[Prowl]

He had expected this.

Prime was a great leader, one of the best that Prowl had ever served under. But he often allowed his emotions to cloud his judgement. This song and dance had occurred more than a few times over the melinia of conflict. Moreso as the war had turned darker and darker, with chances of victory seeming to slip farther and farther away from them. Prowl had come to understand that the role he played was different from the roles played by bots like Ratchet. His was the voice of pragmatism, of logic. And he was not always popular. But it was his job.

The strategist stared upwards, staring into the optics of the Last Prime. So much hope was placed on the shoulders of one who did not seek the power of an emperor to those who believed in the mythology. Prowl himself never bought completely into the myth of Primus and the Thirteen Original Primes.

Was there a creator? There must be, but surely they had abandoned Cybertron eons ago. The corruption of the Dynasty of Primes was all the evidence Prowl needed for that conclusion. If others believed to keep them going however, he would allow them their delusions. But for now, the business at hand.

“You know why I am here, sir.”

The words were spoken without the irritation that the question was asked of him, instead they were stated in a matter of fact type of tone. Prowl did not pretend like some to be the bringer of good news or glad tidings. He had a job to do. And his job involved bad things. It was the sacrifice he made for the greater good. Prowl had no illusions how his legacy would turn out when this war was said and done. Bots like Prime, Ratchet, hell even Bumblebee would be venerated as war heros.

Bot’s like Prowl might have a few years, but in the end...

They'd be cast aside.

[Optimus Prime]

On a normal day, Optimus knew that the type of discussion that was likely coming was not something to be done in a public area. Two higher figureheads, contesting and debating... it invited others to try to push in and say their views, in an attempt to help, and while other opinions were viable? It wasn't really wanted when thoughts, ideas, and plans were being shuffled and placed in a line to try to make sense out of the situation. However, take all this and make it occur in the middle of the night? Make this be about what had just happened and the big 'drama' of the base? It meant a vast majority would be able to eavesdrop with ease, notified something was going wrong should either raise their voice if tensions were cut into too deep.

Concrete walls and flooring did not do well to muffle acoustics, the long hallways an invitation for a debate to travel far. As much as Optimus did not want to invite such a discussion at the moment, as much as he did not want to humor Prowl and he wanted to simply close his door, he relented. A low rumbled hum sounded out, an annoyed exhale as the Prime turned his back without word and started to walk into the room beyond. The door was left open, wordlessly saying that Prowl may enter, though closing it would be the other mech's own burden.

Optimus' living area was modest all things considered despite being more 'advanced' than the norm. While others had a singular room to call their own, he had a small 'office' like spot with his bed tucked within an adjacent room out of sight. Separating work from rest, trying to detach things for situations like this and to help him find sleep without looking upon all the work that still needed to be done. It would permit the two mech to converse without it being in the Control Room or Rec Room or anywhere else they could be interrupted unintentionally.

There was a desk, one chair on one side, two on the other for whoever may be in on a meeting of some kind. A few datapads were scattered across its surface, one of them illuminated and casting a hazed glow in the otherwise dimmer lighting. The primary source of illumination came from a smaller terminal system, dwarfed by the main one in the Control Room, but still functional. It provided a means for him to work uninterrupted with things that did not require the primary system's power. The green screen held an abundance of coordinates and maps, large overlays and drawn lines stretched out as if marking off or circling specific quadrants.

On the ceiling was a rather out of place panel that had been bolted on at an angle.

The Prime's footfalls were solid and borderline harsh, tension already raking across his systems. He moved further into the room, before stopping abruptly, gaze locked straight ahead while he considered what would be done next. With a stilted movement Optimus turned about face, ped grinding some against the concrete floor with a crackle as he turned.

"And you know what I will say."

Abrupt, blunt.

"Get on with it."

Tolerance levels were at an all time low.

[Prowl]

Prime was definitely in a foul mood.

Prowl stepped inside after the big bot and slid the door closed behind him. What was to be discussed was not for anyone else to overhear, not even ones high up the chain of command like Red Alert. Hell, Prowl did not even want Jazz to hear this. Things might get ugly fast with Prime like this. Prowl himself could not account for his own state as well. Prowl did not have many he confided in, but Ratchet had been on that short list the few times Prowl bothered to get himself checked by medical staff.

The former enforcer looked up at the former records clerk, feeling a distinct sense of deja vu at the situation. This was not the first time they had done this dance, and Prowl suspected that it would not be the last. But he quickly banished such reminiscent thoughts as the golden visor came up and retracted into his ridgeline, revealing optics colored cobalt blue. Time to get on with it.

“We need to address the problem at hand, sir. We’ve potentially suffered a major security breach that resulted in the loss of a key member in this outpost.”

He paused before continuing, keeping his voice neutral. But without his visor to conceal his gaze, his expression would be enough to convey what was going on inside. Prowl was furious.

“I have come up with a few steps that require your authorization, sir.”

[Optimus Prime]

"-We’ve potentially suffered a major security breach that resulted in the loss of a key member in this outpost."

"I am more than aware, Prowl."

Not a great start.

Optimus' helm rose somewhat at this, his stance broad and ridged, almost as if squaring off against the smaller Cybertronian. Things would never come down to blows, a fight was not at hand in that regard in any way whatsoever at this time. Prowl could say some downright abhorrent things and Optimus would refuse to strike out in response despite how frustrated and angered he may feel given current events. Yet, he was unhappy in many ways, the tension needing to manifest itself in some form or another, and because of this it was displayed with a more on guard stance, displeasure rather evident.

He was more than aware of their loss. He was more than aware at Ratchet's importance. He was MORE than aware of everything that was going on, and this segue to a conversation merely bristled rather than helped ease into it.

After Prowl's following words, Optimus did not give a verbal reaction. Instead, he simply dipped his helm ever so slightly with a tired look, a sort of 'go on' to try to prod it forward. That request, the want to implement changes... things would be changing here, yet it would more likely than not never amount to the extent Prowl or even Red Alert would be happy with. What was more likely than not going to be proposed in these next moments would be overkill and would be grotesquely aggressive to rip a fissure through this state to seek MECH out. Or so, was the Prime's assumption, merely needing to sit back and wait for what was going to be said next.

[Prowl]

He noticed the anger.

Prowl was never afraid of Optimus expressing his displeasure at something physically. The millions of years he had spent at the Prime’s side had shown that Optimus Prime was almost physically incapable of expressing his frustration via physical force. Most beings who ended up falling under the former data clerk’s sphere of influence or had to speak to him could find that reassuring. But this...bristling at protocol, it had gotten old two million years ago. Sometimes, it made Prowl feel like Prime viewed him like one would view rust in their undercarriage.

War was a messy business by definition. The fact about armed combat was that the longer it lasted, the more energon was going to be spilled, the chances of seeing people you cared about hurt was going to increase exponentially. He did not need a lecture in ethics from someone who until being proclaimed as the next Prime had never seen a blaster outside of a history text.

“Step one, I recommend a full lockdown of Omega One. All exits and entries are to be cleared by you, me, Red Alert, Avalanche or Jazz.”

He had thrown the black ops soldier into the mix because he trusted Jazz as much as he trusted anyone. He had omitted Patch from that list for a distinct reason because despite her stepping up to fill Ratchet’s place in the line up, when you got down to the basics of it she was just like the rest of the rank and file members here at Omega One.

“Step two, we should increase pressure on Agent Fowler and those liaisons to the United States Government. The fact that an attack happened in their territory and we had no warning of it raises questions that need answering.”

He knew that this statement would be met with some resistance, but it needed to be said. Prowl had done some reading before this meeting, and despite the American Government’s statements to the contrary he had a hard time believing there was not any type of internal surveillance going on. Any large type of governmental organization would be foolish to not keep tabs on the individuals inside its borders, despite whatever over the top self conceived notions of individual privacy it’s citizens claimed.

Now came the tricky part.

“Finally, step three, we cannot fight a war on two fronts. The Decepticons should still be our primary objective, but we need to neutralize MECH’s threat to us before they take someone else. I would recommend the setting of ambushes, as well as conduction search and destroy missions until MECH no longer presents a threat.”

That last one he knew would cause trouble. But Prime needed to acknowledge the truth of the matter. By attacking Ratchet, MECH had shown a clear violation of humanity’s known laws of warfare, for the mere sake of finding a test subject. It was clear to Prowl that MECH needed to be dealt with immediately, and with extreme prejudice at that.

[Optimus Prime]

There was barely a pause after Prowl's first petition before Optimus responded.

"Approved."

The idea that all excursions needed to be reported and given the green light was a given as far as Optimus was concerned, some additional Autobots possibly given ability to sanction outings themselves should they have good tract records of caution. Individuals could still go out scouting, or exit the base on acceptable terms, but frivolous impulsive jaunts for fun or nonsense without a heads up were not going to be tolerated. It was Ratchet's negligence, his lack of telling anyone that he was even leaving base, that ended with him in his current situation. A mere action to try to find relaxation, or peace, or who knows what... it wasn't worth the risk. The cost was too high. A cost that needn’t have been paid if he simply told someone he was going out.

This thought bristled Optimus, the top of his lip slightly flicking as he couldn't understand Ratchet not even making a passing comment to anyone that he was even leaving the base. After what happened to others, after all the dangers had been made so clear... after he performed SURGERY on victims of MECH's hand... for him to brush it all aside? Reporting the outing wouldn't make it any less peaceful in a remote region. It just would have made it a prompter rescue mission when things went south. Possibly reacting before things hit the point they had.

Negligence.

Carelessness.

Cyan optics watched Prowl as he continued to elaborate.

"I can assure you Agent Fowler and his men are working hard to locate MECH."

MECH was not something that could be cast to the sidelines and not treated as a priority by humanity. This wasn’t a ring of thieveries and annoyances that could be pushed aside in favor of more dangerous concerns. This WAS the dangerous concern. The force had not only targeted Cybertronian technology, but went after highly destructive and dangerous weaponry of human design that could give them serious leverage and power on a global level. The Cybertronian element was a mere facet of their focus, and as such Fowler and his men had likely been chasing MECH before they even had a name to put with the organization.

There was a pause after Prowl's final request, thinking over it with care, considering... before Optimus said something that may not be expected, even if there were rules coinciding with it.

"Ambushes will only be approved given following parameters."

Cut and dry, Optimus' tone did not fluctuate, keeping the stern annoyance from before.

"No live bait, and MECH personnel are to be captured, not destroyed."

The Prime's weight gradually shifted to one side, helm raising up a small amount.

"Contained soldiers will be immediately relinquished into Agent Fowler's custody for interrogation."

There would be no interrogations on their part, especially not from Prowl. That was a job for the United States Government to contend with, utilizing their own laws and means to try to figure things out.

"All Cybertronian tech will be seized and taken to Omega One."

No exceptions.

"Submit your proposal before execution, for there are other concerns in place."

Namely some of what Rafael had told him from some unknown individual, though it was hard to say how much was hearsay or truth without a proper discussion. After this, Optimus continued bluntly.

"What else."

[Prowl]

He figured that the first one would have been met with approval.

Prowl could think of only a few scenarios where they would require all the senior staff to be on an away mission, and the likelihood of that occurring was quite low. A basic part of military strategy was that you avoided major risks such as that. That, and accountability was essential for accurate battle strategy. Especially in scenarios such as this, with personal being an extremely limited resource.

“Perhaps we could also install a passcode system for use of the groundbridge and door? Each person has their own passcode?”

The next statement was given that standard, trademarked, Optimus Prime diplomacy that seemed to radiate off the Prime.

“Be that as it may, sir, perhaps they do not fully comprehend the gravity of the situation.”

In the weeks since he had arrived, Prowl had done quite a bit of digging into the known cases of MECH attacks, though the records would not be complete as there were undoubtedly some attacks which were unknown to him. Seventy five percent of those would most likely be attacks against Decepticons, Twenty percent attacks against the neutrals that had a disturbing habit of showing up on this planet, and the remaining five percent against new arrivals that MECH ambushed before their presences was known.

What really concerned him in these instances was what he felt was Optimus Prime caring more for the injured feelings of their hosts than the safety of his own troops.

That brought him to the third point, where the Prime basically picked apart his proposal. Understandable to avoid using live bait, there were ways they could set up decoys which could fool whatever MECH was using to detect Cybertronian lifeforms. What really ground his gears was the stipulation that MECH soldiers were to be captured, not destroyed.

Despite what some might think, Prowl was not bloodthirsty. He did not seek vengeance when wronged, such an activity was a waste of his time. But if an individual or group presented a threat, he acted to eliminate the threat. Even if it meant extermination. He chose his words carefully as he spoke next, keeping his optics on Prime.

“Sir, capture may be tantamount to impossible without jeopardizing personal safety. It would be more efficient to eliminate those who persist in hostility, then capture those who surrender.”

Prowl also had his doubts about Agent Fowler’s interrogation skills, but such a measure was a practical step. He would insist on listening in on the interrogations, perhaps offering guidance but to directly conduct the interrogation would be inadvisable. A human interrogator would know more about human physiology and be able to act and react accordingly, while Prowl was still quite ignorant of what made humans tick. The stipulation that tech would immediately be confiscated by the Autobots was also logical. At the mention of other concerns, Prowl optic ridge arched in a question.

“What other concerns?”

[Optimus Prime]

"Should conflict occur, security cameras may be viewed to determine the wayward user."

Red Alert would likely be well aware of who was using such a coveted piece of machinery, and when.

"I do not want hindrance in moments of emergency."

A friend desperately calling for help on a battlefield, a need to evacuate should Omega be attacked... Time was valuable, and while not all could use the Ground Bridge given its complexity and the calculations needed to not end up fifty feet in the air, or just as far underground, making sure there were as minimal hoops as possible is what Optimus believed was best. Mistyping a passcode while in duress should not be the deciding factor between life and death.

When Prowl elaborated upon Agent Fowler's men possibly not understanding the gravity of the situation, Optimus let out a low noise, a sort of affirmation that he heard the words, yet made no effort to rebuke or keep speaking about that topic. He filed reports, they must be conscious of the situation. Only way they wouldn't be was due to negligence and a belittling of the validity of their species. While it was difficult for some to likely understand that 'bolts and metal' could be sentient beings, the situation was still dire and could not be shuffled aside. Should Agent Fowler and those he reported to assume they were mere tools lost during their advancement instead of fallen soldiers? Well, there would be some issues with that assumption.

Once more the topic shifted, and with it Optimus shifted his weight subtly in turn.

"I will not have my Autobots roll over and accept death when truly threatened."

A low grumble of words. Many seemed to look at his want to preserve life as an ultimatum. That the human's existence was more valuable than his own soldier's lives. Nothing was ever truly black and white, and as much as Optimus wished to not create a hard impact on humanity... not wanting to dish out executions or gifting death in a slaughter to negate a threat... he understood self preservation was a very real thing. Loss of life and War walked hand in hand no matter what intentions or plans may dictate.

"That said, should lesser force be possible, I will demand as much."

This was where the line was drawn. Lashing out in fear when death was on the table before them? Unavoidable. Obliterating a human soldier that was on the ground with no weaponry available to their name? Unacceptable. Throttling punches, pulling back when needed... There was no room for bloodbaths and hard decisions to cut down every member of MECH with an iron fist. Even if mercy was not on the table, even if Optimus was accepting of such brutal methods, they needed soldiers alive anyway to try to find MECH's base of operations.

Another shift in conversation.

"MECH may have means to affect our body and mind on a level beyond what we have witnessed."

Rumors, speculation, yet it was something that could not be overlooked. To shun and turn ones back upon such a warning was a flippant disregard for a real thing that could turn the tide of any assault. Assuming what information they had was everything to be known was pure arrogance. They knew so little about MECH's weaponry, and had to act with caution.

"They can track our signals. Alt-Modes are useless."

[Prowl]

When Prime explained his reasoning for not wanting a code lock on the Groundbridge, as well as elaborating the fact that Red Alert most likely had cameras already monitoring the area, Prowl accepted it without additional comment.

The Prime’s statements were completely logical, given that they were operating on limited capacity. Should one of the...slower...individuals need to be the one attempting a rescue a passcode could prove problematic. Plus, no system was truly infallible. A particularly determined offender could bypass the system by faking or learning the code of another.

The next statement Prime heard, but did not comment upon. But Prowl knew it was best not to push the Prime too hard in these matters.

The next set of statements where Optimus Prime layed down the law, caused Prowl to press his lips tight together as he bit off the words in the back of his voice box. The idea of bringing a suspect in for questioning and judicial punishment was not lost on him, as it made up a core aspect of his primary programming. But policy changed during wartime.

MECH had all but declared war on the Cybertronian race.

But for now, Prowl would play by the Prime’s rules. There were still ways that Prowl could do what needed to be done and stay within Optimus’ guidelines. But the Prime’s next words caused him to pause in all thought and stare directly at Optimus for a long moment before speaking. That look combined both aspects of disbelief, and a slight bit of irritation.

Information such as this was not something to be taken lightly, it could have serious negative impacts towards Prowl’s ability to put together a plan of attack against MECH forces. One of the key features of the Autobot presence on this world was their ability to hide in plain sight should they wish. If that advantage had been taken away from them...

“How did we come by this information, and when were you planning on informing me of this?”

[Optimus Prime]

"The how is not a concern at this time."

A quick response, not even a beat of a flicker before his words were spoken.

"I am not assured of its validity, yet to ignore is folly."

Optimus did not want to tell Prowl that it was rumor brought on by Rafael, who heard it from a Decepticon. To even think over such things here and now made it sound ludicrous and fabricated. A silly source that shouldn't be considered. Yet, it was relayed from Dart, and while the Prime had no true knowledge on her motives or goals in the grand scheme of things, she did not strike him as a typical Decepticon. Her body language, words, actions... something was going on there that was out from his immediate gaze. She was either being honest, or it was a well fabricated ruse to make him 'trust' her more, even if he was far from such things.

Rumors about MECH however were notable.

This was could be something to push back the Autobots and make them warily paranoid to add more stress upon their team. Yet... it seemed so small to be some intentional thing from the Decepticons to harm them. It changed little beyond making a couple extra precautions. Nothing that would directly cripple the Autobots in the Decepticon's favor. That alone made it feel more valid.

"Confronting the source has yet to occur given current events."

Optimus had a plan to, he was going to make active efforts to try to figure things out, yet the incident with Ratchet completely threw him for a loop, and he was still staggering to try to get his footing back.

"As an assault should not be currently planned, I did not wish to lead astray."

Cyan eyes flicked across Prowl's features, as if a quiet warning. He should be focusing on home security and making certain that others were informed enough to not make the same mistake as Ratchet. Working with Red Alert should they stomach each other enough to do so... not instant fabricating a huge assault to mow over a human facility where such unknown weaponry could be deployed against them.

"You can be assured I will look into it."

[Prowl]

Prime was hiding something.

If the information had merely been uncorroborated, but from a usual source such as interrogation of captured operatives or a battlefield report, Prime would have said so. No, this was from a non traditional source. That narrowed it down quite a bit. Prowl was used to working with sources that could be less than trustworthy, criminals hoping to use law enforcement to get rid of their competition, etc.

That meant...given Optimus’ last statement, that it was one of three things. A MECH traitor intending to put one over on their bosses in a power grab, a neutral Cybertronian who had managed to evade capture, or...a Decepticon.

The problem with the last one was quite obvious, for that meant it could be a false flag operation engineered by Soundwave or Megatron intended to keep the Autobots holed up inside their base while the Decepticons operated with impunity.

“If confronting the source is impossible given the circumstances, perhaps we should seek alternate confirmation.”

Prowl angled his cobalt optics right up into the cyan optics of Optimus Prime, almost daring the larger bot. There was a challenge in his optics, because Prowl did not appreciate being kept in the dark for whatever reason.

“While base security is essential, we will need to deal with MECH. The sooner the better, before they can assemble enough resources and information to be a major threat.”

It did not matter to Prowl who was the one to take MECH out. All that mattered was that the terrorist organization did not present a problem to Autobot safety. In this situation that meant rendering them combat ineffective, or eliminating them.
At the Prime's assurance that he would look into it, Prowl keep his optics locked onto Optimus'.

"Perhaps they should be brought in for interrogation."

[Optimus Prime]

"If confronting the source is impossible given the circumstances, perhaps we should seek alternate confirmation."

"I did not declare it impossible."

Cyan optics stared Prowl's own directly. No waver, no glance away... He took the other Cybertronian's challenging look and returned it in full. While his stance remained rather inert, he still made it clear he wasn't going to shift or back away from the other mech's focus. The only good side to all of this was the fact the hostility from before had ebbed back some despite the intense glare seeming to declare otherwise. Now that a conversation was in progress, it permitted him to concentrate in on that moment, rather than project internally what argument was going to come down the line. Things could still change though, his irritation at being disturbed this late surging back in full if pushed wrong.

"MECH already is a major threat."

They had made that abundantly clear.

"Perhaps you chose to ignore my previous words. Apprehended soldiers will be immediately relinquished into Agent Fowler."

Unamused, however it was spoken lighter rather than betraying annoyance. He knew it may have meant something else, and that it was a case of misjudgment on his part. Because of this, he continued.

"Unless you speak of our informant, in which case we must access what we are dealing with before brash actions are taken."

Interrogation was never high on Optimus' plans to aim for as the end goal. It was not something he actively sought, or ran towards as a first choice to get results. While others like Prowl likely sat it far higher on the option list, it did not mean Optimus completely rejected it as a non-option. So long as it was one of their own and not one who would be better suited being transferred to Fowler, then they could try to seek out answers.

Breaking his ridged stance, Optimus' left hand would raise, rubbing some at the corner of his eyes with a frustrated exhale.

"Getting in contact has been unsuccessful thus far."

Optimus had truly not tried as much as he could have, once more the situation with Ratchet derailing things some, but that did not mean he had no intention to follow through with it. Perhaps the paranoia he had about Dart tracking down Rafael with his phone number could be flipped in favor of tracking Dart instead. It was hard to say one way or the other, for it depended on the technology used and if such a thing was available to them.

[Prowl]

Prowl had been out of the game for a bit...

But he still knew when Optimus Prime was attempting to keep him in the dark, trying to stall him. In hindsight, it probably had been not the best idea to hold this meeting right away. Perhaps he should have given Optimus time to process what had happened to Ratchet. Prime had already made a mistake in thinking he was back on the subject of MECH.

But these were difficult times.

Everyone seemed to think Primes were supposed to be infallible. Those that held to some of the ancient superstitions held that the Primes were the bridge between the commoners and Primus himself. But those like Ratchet, Prowl and others understood that Primes were merely mortal.

“Sir, I understand that captured MECH insurgents are to be turned over to Fowler. I am indeed talking about the informant.”

He paused, processing the information before speaking again. If they were being strung along by the Decepticons it was more likely that there would have been more attempts at contact by the informant. But that was not proof enough to discount the idea. Soundwave had always been the crafty sort, it was how he had survived so long.

“I can include a list of options for confirming the informants information when I submit the full proposal about the anti-MECH operation.”

Prowl kept his cobalt optics on the Prime, servos folded across his chest. He was not going to get any further with Optimus at this point. The Prime had this notion that he needed to address every issue personally, when he could easily delegate these issues to somebody such as Prowl.