A War In The Stars || COMPLETE {TFRID}

CHAPTER 24: NEW DEPARTMENT

The Cadet wasn't allowed to help with the removal (not that he wanted to), but he was allowed to help the head of the Mini-con department with delivering them. The bot in charge was a dark pink autobot like Galaxia, but she seemed to have a jet vehicle-mode rather than a car.

The Cadet hated watching the previous scene and it was the only thing on his processor.

"Was that necessary?" he asked.

Most bots would ask what, but she already knew what he wanted to know. "Removing the Mini-cons? Yes. In that way? No," she replied. "But Deadlock did refuse to deploy his Mini-cons, so they had to remove them by other means, it's protocol."

"But they weren't going to hurt us," the Cadet was close to a yell, but he didn't want to upset a superior officer.

"Maybe these ones weren't, but it's not the first time Decepticons have used their Mini-cons to smuggle weapons or carry loot." The cadet gave her a confused look. "It's true! Anyway, we have to remove and search the Mini-cons to ensure they don't pose a threat, then we will return them to their deployers after the trial, providing they get the same result as their deployer."

"What do you mean?"

"If both the deployer and the Mini-cons are declared innocent, they will be free to go. If both are guilty, the Mini-cons will undeploy onto their master then he will go into stasis. If the deployer is guilty but the Mini-cons are innocent, they will be set free but the Con will stay or the other way around."

The cadet stared at the trolley, Jetstorm and Slipstream didn't make a peep since they left. Usually Mini-cons didn't speak while in this mode, but there were exceptions. He felt bad for them. At least the rules were fair, he just wished that his chief was too.

The femme could see he was slightly upset. "Don't worry. They'll be in good servos here because we aren't Decepticons." She lent over the trolley and stared at the Mini-cons. "Most Deceptcions believe that Mini-cons are nothing but tools, but we know that isn't true. Don't you?"

The Cadet nodded. "I know, we even have some working on the police force. Like that Dropforge guy, I heard he is an amazing officer and even trains Autobots."

"Exactly, so we'll do our best to keep them safe. Not necessarily comfortable," she looked at the floor for moment. "Partly because I'm not allowed." She smiled again, "But safe."

They noticed the empty cell which had a name plate above it, it read...

Slipstream and Jetstorm

Deployer: Deadlock

The two bots carefully deactivated the laser bars then placed the Mini-cons inside and watched for a moment. They didn't transform or say a word. The pair waited for a few minutes before the femme got up and looked at a clock.

"Right, I'd better go and get the energon for the other Mini-cons," she looked down at the Cadet. "You wait here in case they transform, and if they do be sure not to scare them." The Cadet nodded with a smile as she left the cell room, leaving the impatient young bot with Jetstorm and Slipstream.

~~~~

Drift waited in the interrogation room for the officer who would be asking the questions. He knew it would be the Chief, and because he disobeyed him, it wouldn't be easy. He wasn't afraid of the bot, he was just worried that he would end up spilling some information about Galaxia and her Mini-cons which would cause the police to go after them.

Suddenly, the door creaked as it opened. He looked up at the door, waiting for the Chief to walk through, but he didn't. Instead, a green bot with a holographic notebook stepped inside, he gave the Decepticon a light smile before taking a seat opposite him.

"So your name is Deadlock, correct?" he asked. By official records, his name was still Deadlock, even after Galaxia gave him the name Drift. This was the second time someone had called him by his old name, the first being Skybird, but he had to understand that he would be called Deadlock a lot until he gets his name legally changed.

"Yes, but most bots call me Drift," he replied. The mech immidiently began taking notes. Drift had to be careful when answering these questions, because the notes taken would help to determine his judgment at the trial.

The mech cleared his throat and looked into Drift's optics, which couldn't focus on him. "So, Drift, I would just like to ask you a few questions which will help us in the trial, ready?" The Con nodded. "Good, now, what were you doing outside of that building?"

Scrap. Drift couldn't answer that question without mentioning Galaixa, Skybird and Wildstreak. However, it would give him the chance to talk about Shadow Raker and what he did to the Mini-cons.

"I was assisting a Bounty Hunter with her bounty, but we were cornered by Shadow Raker who tried to use dark energon to knock us out. We had to run back outside to get away from it."

The bot looked at him suspiciously. "You mean Galaxia?" Drift nodded. "I've heard about her, she's extremely reliable and has never missed a bounty, until she was called to capture you. Can you give me any more information?"

"Yes, the identity of the one who hired Galaxia was Shadow Raker, and he only hired her because he wanted me, Jetstorm and Slipstream back, but we couldn't go back, not after the way he treated them," the mech continued to make notes as he nodded. "He also hired Fracture and his Mini-cons. Those three took control of our Starship and held us all prisoner. He even manipulated Galaxia."

The bot looked at his records, then lowered them with an annoyed faceplate. "By what I've heard, you're saying that your crimes is due to Shadow Raker, correct?" Drift nodded.

"So could you please describe the bank robbery? Shadow Raker was arrested that day but you got away in a stolen Starship and kidnapped two Mini-cons." The samarai looked at him in fear. "And if you are responsible then you could be jailed for at least three-fifty/sixty years."

Drift stared at the ground. "How am I going to explain this?" he asked himself.