New Management

United Nations Plaza

The United Nations has expanded vastly since becoming the official government for the entire planet Earth. While the actual structure of UN headquarters has changed beyond recognition, respect for tradition or simple nostalgia have kept most of the decoration here in the plaza as it was when the UN was first established decades ago.

A curved row of flags stretches across the front of the complex. Once each nation represented within had a flag, but recently the UN's membership has grown so great that only the 'founding' nations are allowed flags. Other, less familiar decorations are placed here and there around the plaza...a small sculpture shaped like an Oriental building, a bronze statue of a human beating a sword with a large hammer, a shining model of the prototype FTL spaceship...

Contents:

Noah Wolfe

Talia McKinley

Velum

Huffer

Specter [Hidden]

Amber MacKenzie

United Nations

A man gazes out the window of his shuttlecraft as it descends towards the Earth, hands clasped behind his back.

In the past, two men are discussing a matter of serious import. One of them sounds like Keith David and the other like Lance Henrikson respectively, just because.

"He's got more degrees than I got children. Most importantly he's a technical wizard of the sort that rarely comes along. And on top of that he's got an impressive military background."

"I'm aware of all that General, but I'm concerned about the OTHER parts--"

"Yes, Admiral, I know, but in my opinion that's just another plus in my book."

"If you say so. I just want to know: Can we trust this man?"

"Admiral, at this point the EDC's virtually destroyed and humanity is struggling to pull itself back up onto its feet. We can't afford NOT to trust this man."

In the present, a UN meeting is about to go underway. However, as the meeting is occurring outside in the plaza, most of the delegates are complaining about having to stand around in the heat. On the plus side, this allows Autobots plenty of room to attend the meeting as well. It's not entirely clear what will happen other than that SOMEONE will talk about the future of the EDC. EDC guards and tanks are stationed here and there just in case, and there's also something resting on a flatbed trailer, but for the moment it's covered by a tarp.

Talia McKinley has arrived.

Talia McKinley soars rapidly into range.

Velum actually quite enjoys the heat, no qualms from her as she stands amongst the crowd of other EDC operatives. Though she is anxious to take a smoke break, that much is clear, her foot tapping a little in impatience while waiting with the others. "Hmph, I wonder who this new guys is and what he's got int store for us.." The woman muses to no one in particular, a hand shoving in her pocket while the thumb of her robotic one loops into the other.

"...and that's my theory on cancer being a synthsized AI system designed by your own government." Huffer concludes with a sigh. He glances down at the 16 people who were seated next to him who are now gone. "Man. Talk about rude. Not that I'm not used to it." He slumps into his big Autobot chair and stares down at the flatbed. "That thing can't even process simple thoughts and it has a more important job than me... Oh, Velum is here." He waves and calls over to the She-neb. "Hey Velum! Hi it's me Huffer! I'm glad you're not dead! Not that you were supposed to be, it's just that statistically speaking most organics in this war have a 7 in 10 chance of dying in the window of time since we last spoke!"

Amber MacKenzie is interested in what idiot the politicians will assign next. Will it be the queen b***h Julianna Lindsey or another person who thinks they have all the answers? Cynical, Amber? Damned straight. Though she's seated her with the rest of the observers, she's not happy with the political process today; if they'd had their way, there would have been no Terran presence on Mars, and the Decepticon attack would've hit with no warning. A smirk touches her face. And if it had hit without warning, the bickering politicians would've died as the Decepticons planned.

Besides the point of the whole shebang being EDC related and thus relevant, Talia was also here as part of the 'security measures'. Because, lets be honest, this is the sort of event that's got more potential to attract Decepticon interest than she has fingers to count on. Fortunately needing to stay near her VTOL should she need to take off quickly gives her ample reason to stay out of the amasse crowds and near the 'back', arms folded and head tipped just enough to keep the sun out of her eyes with her hat while she leaned against the Firehawk's hull, one foot heel up against it to brace herself. Somehow the woman manages to look relaxed regardless of the potential for trouble.

At Huffer's rambling nearby she looks up a bit. "... Well ain't he the cheerful one."

Talia climbs into the cockpit of her VTOL craft, ready to take to the skies.

Talia opens the cockpit of the VTOL craft and climbs out.

Velum

At first glance... Hell, at all glances you'd think her a human. Well, except for the large robotic arm and spine attatchment. But Velum is all Nebulan. Toned frame is complimented by lightly tanned skin, wavy chocolate hair that spills past the shoulders, and a set of deep ocean blue eyes. The only thing ruining this nice combination is the myriad of battle scars littering her form, each healed over wound from years past holding a story of their own. The only other thing making her stand out amongst the crowd is the rather large and bulky robotic arm that replaces one of her own, the limb hanging well down to her calves with a hand able to engulf an average human's head with ease.

"Is it wise to inform them of your conspiracy theories?" Specter questions Huffer, relaxed and leaning up against his giant Autobot chair. The intel operative was here on Fortress Maximus' order, to observe and report. Though in truth, they were both there as crowd control. Albeit rather unfit guards, at that.

Physically wincing at the Velum remark, Specter sighs "Must you vocalize every thought that passes trough your processors?"

Huffer stares blearily up at Specter. "My therapist says that it's good for me. I've been seeing him for about three weeks now and I feel like I'm really making progress. His name is Dr. Huffershutup and he looks like Cliffjumper but if Cliffjumper had a mustache." Huffer sits up in his seat a little bit and gives Specter his best smile, which looks like a horrible frog faced frown. "Don't you think I've been more pleasant lately?"

"Ha," an EDC soldier says aloud. "I bet the new guy's gonna be an alien or something. An alien, telling us humans what to do? Imagine that! Hahahaha!" A couple other troops glance nervously at Velum and back away from this guy. The soldier gives them an odd look. "What? Why are you looking at her like that? Sheesh, tough crowd."

Eventually, an EDC shuttle gently descends towards the plaza on jets of hot exhaust. The delegates all look up, squinting in the bright daylight. "Ah, there he is," the delegate from Sweden says. "I wonder what he'll say." The German delegate complains, "Is this supposed to impress us? I travel in a space shuttle all the damn time! Well, I did." He sighs. "Before the Long Night."

Talia McKinley hears the sound of shuttle engines and cocks her head back to watch, unfolding an arm so she can hold her hat. But otherwise she's quiet, just passively watching until she has reason to be otherwise. So fair, so good.

Noah Wolfe enters from the Upper East Side to the north.

Noah Wolfe has arrived.

Amber MacKenzie closes her eyes with a sigh. This is exactly how Julianna arrived, in her private shuttle and with her pet General to fetch and carry for her. Pleeeeeease let it not be Julianna. Her green eyes open suddenly at a nasty thought. Noooooo, it can't be Gates...

"More pleasant? Quite." Specter stifles a chuckle, nevously folding and unfolding his arms. Never has he been one for crowds, and if the mech could sweat.. a bead would hang from his brow. "Though you might want to look into this 'therapists' credentials."

Velum notes the remark from the EDC soldier, mouth pressing into a thin line as lids fall half mast in an unamused expression. At least the other soldiers knew well enough to back away instead of join in the fun. Thankfully Huffer saves the man from a well-earned smack upside the head, the Nebulan looking back to spot the minibot and blinking blankly. Shit. Huffer.

"Oh uh, hey Huffer." She manages a nice enough smile, mechanical arm waving. He's a nice enough mech, sure, but he was just... so boring. But at least he manages to get a chuckle out of her, "Well, as you can see, I'm harder to kill than your average organic." She also makes sure to wave to Specter before the shuttle finally arrives, Velum's attention turning to it and waiting.

Huffer nods to Specter. "Actually, I might not even need to see him anymore. A human outside gave me some literature and a lot of it is clicking." He holds up a Transformers sized copy of Dianetics and shows it to Specter, and then to Velum. "Have you heard of Thetans, Specter? I'm wondering if they're similiar to the energy that powers our spark cores."

Finally someone whispers to the guy who unwittingly insulted Velum, "She's an alien, you dumbass!" to which jerkface replies, "She is? Ah, dammit. Um... sorry? Was... just kidding? Hahaha...?"

At last the shuttle lands, and out of the side hatch steps a man who looks to be about in his thirties and in fairly good shape. He has a black mustache trimmed perfectly within regulations and short, dark hair. After pausing to attach a mic to a lapel, he strides forward in front of the tarp, turns to the delegates, and speaks. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Commander Franklin Cross, and I'll be speaking to you about the future course of the EDC today."

"Franklin Cross?" an EDC soldier whispers. "Wait, I've seen that guy now and then in Marissa's office every now and then. I think he was her technical advisor?" Another whispers, "Yeah, command meetings, too, though he didn't say much."

All that is true--any EDC personnel who've spent any amount of time at Alameda for the past two years or so might have spotted this guy once or twice, but he didn't make much of an impact back then. Just one of those background guys. At the time.

Franklin Cross continues: "As of this moment, in Marissa Faireborn's absence, I am assuming command of the EDC."

The delegates are all abuzz at that. "What about Ms. Faireborn? What happened to her?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss that," Cross says.

Giving Velum a slight nod of his helm, Specter goes back to the topic of Huffer.. the Autobot's version of Darkwing. Or Dreadwind. One of them, anyways. "Thetans. Ah yes, I've found the term similar to some of the meditation beliefs Master Focus has been teaching me."

His attention is drawn to the grandoise entrance of Franklin Cross, and the interesting news he just broke to the delegation and assembled crowd. "Faireborn." is all he lets out, in a mutter no less.

By the time the shuttle has actually landed Talia has walked over to the other familiar faces, as it's still in sprinting distance of her craft. Despite the idiot's fumbling she puts a hand on Velum's shoulder. "Just let 'em choke on his words, missy. More important things.

Like the previous background face announcing that he's taking over. This.. gets a brow raise out of otherwise impassiveness. "That was unexpected..."

Amber MacKenzie listens to the news, her head tilted to one side, her eyes half closed, and no hint of surprise on her face. It's not exactly the first time someone has announced their ascension to leadership. She glances briefly around, gauging others' reactions, before returning her attention to Mr. Cross. Other than that, all she does is politely raise her hand.

Franklin Cross raises an eyebrow at Amber MacKenzie. "Hm. Well, it's somewhat early for questions, but very well. You there..." He points, squinting a bit. "Ms... Kenzie, I believe your name is? I apologize if I got that wrong."

"Mmhm." Velum intones blandly to the man that apologizes, not seeming too mad at him. She'd been around the humans a long while now, so she was used to it. Talia, however, is given a glance over her shoulder, the Nebulan smirking a little, "Ah, no need to worry about me. Doesn't bother me much."

With Commander Cross now taking the stage she looks back, quirking a brow as well with Talia, though the mention of not being able to speak of Marissa has them furrowing slightly. Why would he hold something like that back? Those serving under her should at least have the right to know.

Amber MacKenzie rises briefly to her feet and inclines her head. "Amber MacKenzie, formerly of Earthwatch News." She seems to have reverted to her previous occupation. "Congratulations, Commander. I just wanted to welcome you to a rather high-stress and difficult position. Like most of us, I'm anxious to hear how you came to this point and what you have planned for us. Thank you." That said, she sits down again.

Adjusting his sensors and recording equipment, Specter focuses them on Commander Cross for his report later to the bigger wigs. He's quite interested in what this Franklin character can bring to the EDC, but moreover interested in what happened to Marissa Faireborn. Probably on another space adventure with her crazy dad.

"Velum, what do you know about this guy?" Specter asks the Nebulon, under a hushed tone.

Combat: Specter analyzes Franklin Cross for weaknesses.

Talia McKinley presumes the reason he won't speak of where Marissa has gone is due to it being too sensative of information for a public reveal. She lowers her hand from the Nebulon's shoulder when Velum thankfully doesn't flip out and cause a major scene. "Dunno," she replies with a shrug even if the question wasn't directed at her. "Never spent much time outta hangers myself, not seen 'im much."

Noah Wolfe leaves to the Upper East Side to the north.

Noah Wolfe has left.

Franklin Cross smiles slightly. This guy doesn't seem to be someone much used to smiling, come to think of it. "Thank you, Ms. MacKenzie, but don't be too concerned for me. I have fought the Decepticons before, which, I suppose, relates to your question about how I came to this point. Simply put, our chain of command is in some disarray. We lost a lot of good people when the Decepticons attacked Alameda after beginning the Long Night, and many high ranking officers were killed. And now, with Marissa Faireborn having to--temporarily--step down as Commander, we had few choices to replace her. Personally, if it were up to me, I'd let someone else take command so that I could focus on my research. But... unfortunately... I no longer have that luxury, and the UN Security Council and Secretary General selected me for the position."

"And they didn't tell ME?" hisses an ambassador from England. Several other delegates also grumble angrily about being left in the dark about this.

If Cross heard them he doesn't let it show. "Now, about our new direction. Let's start with technology. We're going to be phasing out our exo-suits. They're too complex and expensive for combat, we've found, especially now that our facilities need to be rebuilt from the ground up. We believe we can accomplish the same jobs with more conventional hardware, such as jets and tanks, with less cost to taxpayers and the same results. For instance..." He turns to the shuttle, pulling out a remote. He presses a few buttons, and the back hatch opens, and a tank barely larger than a car rolls out the hatch. "...my own Jump Tank, of the Sophia Class. It's the first of its kind, for now. But despite not being an exo, it sports impressive firepower, hovering capability, and the ability to be upgraded with more hardware. All this for a fifth of the cost of an exo-suit! So, you see, we are not necessarily downgrading our technology, we're simply being smarter and more efficient with it."

Velum finally pries her eyes away a moment to glance up at Specter, shaking her head a little, "I know about as much as the next soldier, honestly. Heard his name once or twice, but that's about it." She looks over to Talia once more, mechanical hand lifting to rub the back of her own neck idly. "I just hope he doesn't start bringing in some crazy new ideas or something..."

And he does just that. Well, not crazy, but certainly new. The unveiling of the tank has her quite curious, though the mention of phasing out exos less so. With an air of a high ranking official, albeit a previous one on an alien planet, Velum steels her gaze and straightens her posture, normal arm folding behind her back while robotic one raises a bit, though she doesn't wait for him to call upon her before speaking up clearly amongst the crowd. "Commander Cross. What about the ones among us who prefer the exosuits, especially the larger scale models that can go toe to toe with a Decepticon?"

Talia McKinley turns her head just far enough to glance back at where her VTOL sits at the mention of continuing the shift to more 'conventional' vehicles. Guess pilots like herself and Lars put up a good enough fight during the Long Night to make that decision worth pursuing farther. Though she still murmurs something under her breath to the effect of "Though it was just cuttin' back, not phasin' out," as well.

Jayson Redfield has been here the whole time, just in the background. He doesn't look very pleased with the talk of ridding the EDC of exo-units, but who is he to complain to the higher-ups about it? So he just stands in silence, listening.

"Ah, I see." Specter offers to both Talia and Velum, while the Nebulon poses a question for the new General of the EDC. He'll politely wait his turn, of course. The unveiling of the Sophia class 'Jump' tank does pique his interest. "The reversion to more appropriate weaponry shouldn't be heckled." he muses to Talia, "Imagine if the Cybertronians deployed armies of city formers?" he offers.

Amber MacKenzie's expression shows interest; she leans forward in her seat to listen to the man, but this is just a recycling of Julianna Lindsey's platform. And he's a pennypincher, too. If the Terrans took this war seriously enough to *really* spend on it, they wouldn't be in this position today.

Amber's not a trained soldier; though she glances at the tank, it doesn't impress her outside of being smaller than others she's seen. A mini-tank! Isn't it cuuuuute? She sighs and returns her attention to the new boss man. So, the chain of command is "in disarray", and he's the best they can come up with. Heaven help them, especially as he's just announced this to the Decepticons, too.

Talia McKinley glances back at Specter. "I wasn't complain', considering I fly one of those 'conventional hardware'. Just heard differently before, is all."

"Oh no, I was merely commenting on the general reception." Specter quickly apologizes to Talia. "I can't imagine many here are in support of this platform."

Franklin Cross eyes Velum as she speaks up. "Corporal Velum. I'm glad you asked." He doesn't sound glad. He doesn't sound like anything, but at least he doesn't sound *angry*. "We recognize the value of having robotic military units in situations where we may have to engage the Decepticons in tight quarters or in close combat. Thus we will maintain a stock of some of these robotic vehicles for those particular roles. However, the majority of them will be larger than the exo-suits many EDC pilots will be used to."

Cross continues. "Now, onto our rules of engagement. They have changed. Thanks to a revision in the Geneva Conventions that was recently signed by the majority of the UN member nations, we have determined that they are not applicable in any way, shape, or form to the Decepticons. These rules were written for humans, not robotic marauders. Thus, all Decepticons are to be killed on sight or captured and delivered to the EDC for experimentation and study."

There's some applauding from the delegates, but it doesn't seem that quite everyone is pleased by that.

Jayson Redfield blinks at that. "Kill on sight? But..." He catches himself and goes quiet again. He doesn't have a personal policy like that, and it's actually against his nature to "shoot on sight". But again, who is he to go against orders? "Yes, sir," he mumbles instead.

Well, that's interesting. Not so much the kill or dissect orders, but the fact that the rules are written for humans only. Humans. Only. So where does that leave the Autobots? Rising to her feet, Amber simply walks out.

"General Cross, if I may." Specter pipes up, rising and approaching the front as best he can. "Autobot Intelligence officer Specter, sir." he introduces himself with an upbeat air.

"I apologize in advance for the rather, large amount of inqueries.. but they do seem prudent. First and foremost, does this reimagining of the convention apply to all Cybertronians that pose an dire threat to humanity's continued existence.. or only those that willingly brand themselves Decepticons?" Specter chuffs out, looking at some notes he jotted down earlier.

"Secondly, do the delegates of Earth have an 'exit' strategy concerning the Junkion technicians currently in help restoring the technology gaps?" he adds to the tail end.

"Finally, can you give anymore explanation to Ms. Faireborn's sudden absence?"

Talia McKinley .. can't really say she's upset by that. If saving dozens of innocent lives means putting an armor-piercing autocannon shell through a Decepticon's laser core, she's going to take the shot every time. It's how war works, and if the Decepticons are going to consider them enough of a threat to particularly target such attacks at, they need to be a viable threat right back.

Velum appears at least somewhat pleased at that answer, glad that she'll still be able to pilot soomething she knows best. However Cross' speech of killing on sight and actually bringing them in for experimentation has the Nebulan nearly reeling in surprise. "What??" Sure, she'd beat down a Con as fast as any Autobot, though she prefers to have them trialed instead, but going so far as to maim them with experiments... the thought just has her blood boil at this point. With fists clenching she opens her mouth to shout up at the stage, but Specter suddenly pipes up, leaving the woman to back down and let his speak his peace, not looking happy at all. "Experimentation and study? Is he /kidding/? We'd be no better than the Cons..." She mutters with a disgusted hiss.

Franklin Cross replies evenly, "The Autobots need not be concerned as our alliance is still in place..." He raises a brow again as Amber MacKenzie departs. "Hm. But for your information, ah..." He squints at Specter, not recognizing him. "...Autobot, our rules of engagement apply to Decepticons. Non-aligned Cybertronians will be detained until we can determine that they are not a threat. Again, Autobots and, for that matter, Junkions need not be concerned that they will be targeted for capture or termination. As to your second question, I'm not sure I'm understanding you correctly, though we do appreciate the assistance that the Junkions are providing in restoring our technology. And lastly, I'm afraid that no, I cannot answer your final question at this time."

"Thank you Commander Cross, that was sufficient." Specter replies evenly, though somewhat unsatisfied with the response. "I do not envy Rodimus Prime upon hearing this." he muses under baited breath to Velum and Talia, retaking his seat.

Jayson Redfield is staying quiet. Again. Don't mind him.

Velum simply crosses her arms, huffing softly while looking over Cross with a scrutinizing gaze, not liking this new order one bit. "This is gonna turn into a train wreck, I just know it..." She can't help giving Specter a glance however, trying to calm herself a little as she asks, "When you head back to Autobot City, would you mind taking me with you? I've a few people I wanna talk with about this." And indeed she does, especially her own kind and what they think of all this.

"You're welcome, Autobot," Cross says without emotion. "One last thing before I conclude the presentation. You..." He points at a cameraman. "...come closer." The cameraman shrugs, and gets right up in front of Cross, who stares into the camera like he's looking directly at a person. "I have a message for you, Galvatron. You thought your energy ray would destroy our civilization, and it very nearly did, I'll give you that. But we know what you did. And how. It wasn't an EMP. Your energy ray changed the molecular structure of metals so that they could no longer conduct electricity. And what you didn't know at the time is that we had a scientific satellite orbiting the planet at the time. It was caught in the energy wave, but not enough to destroy. No, but it did send back some VERY interesting readings, which I examined personally. I've reverse-engineered your technology, Galvatron. And now watch what I can do the stuff YOU'RE made of." He turns over his shoulder to the flatbed. "Throw back the tarp."

Some EDC troops pull back the tarp that was covering whatever it was on the flatbed, and it turns out to be a Decepticon Seeker arm sitting on a metal slab. Pointing at it is... some kind of complicated mess of technology, the most obvious part of which is some sort of beam emitter that's pointing at the arm. Cross takes another remote out at this point, standing aside so the camera can see, and presses the button on the remote. The beam-emitter fires... *something* at the arm, and nothing happens at first. But as the beam continues to fire, the armor cracks, splits open, and falls away, revealing the internal components. And these too suffer the same fate until nothing remains of the body part but grey dust.

Cross steps back into view of the camera. "You tried to destroy us, Galvatron. But you've succeeded only in destroying yourself." Turning to the delegates, he nods his head and says, "Thank you for attending, ladies and gentlemen. That concludes my presentation."

The delegates are stunned at first, but one of them claps, and then more, and then it becomes raucous cheering. Well, not from everyone. A few delegates are standing and leaving in disgust. But for the most part the UN delegates are fully onboard with this guy!

Talia McKinley doesn't really have anything else to add on the matter. Never said she -liked- the experimenting part, but... this job involves things 'you don't like' needing to be done from time to time. "I reckon I just hope that they don't strap up those big boots they're aimin' to stomp the Cons with too tight fer their own good," she mutters low enough for only the ones near her to hear."

And then Cross goes to call out Galvatron over the television. "... Though I'll give 'em that much, he's got ball bearings." Heh, sounds like she's been hanging out around the Autobots long enough to pick up their alternate sayings.

"Certainly." Specter bows his head politely to Velum, giving Franklin Cross another disconcerting gaze. And of course, then he unveils their newest weapon.. a beam emitter that can reduce Cybertronian armor (and inner workings) to dust! "Oh bother."

After recording the demonstration, Specter moves to pack up his equipment. "Actually, I don't think I picked up any mechanics when analyzing Franklin Cross.. Talia." he denotes, snapping a lid shut. "So probably no ball bearings, unless they're shielded to scans."

"Wouldn't be the first time I've seen a guy wear a lead jockstrap," Talia retorts without missing a beat, smirking.

Jayson Redfield overhears Talia and snorts quietly as he tries not to laugh.

"Lead jockstrap." Specter considers, "I'm not familiar with that terran form of clothing, sorry." Transforming, the door pops open with a *HSSSS*.. all upwards like Back to the Future style.

Combat: Specter appears from the shadows...

With his head lowering down into the torso, Specter's limbs fold up into the base.. recogfiguring into a Cybertronian Hover-Car!

Velum just kind of... stares at the demonstration, watching as the dismembered arm of some hapless seeker gets turned into nothing but a pile of dust. She's pretty much speechless at this point, not even reacting to Talia's remarks. Did the humans, a race even behind her own kind, seriously just harness the powers of Galvatron himself.

"Okay... I really need a drink now after what I just saw.." She looks down, hand to her forehead a moment. This is not good. At all. But thankfully Specter shifts into his altmode, allowing the Nebulan to escape this madness, quickly hoping into the passenger seat since it's a bit strange to sit at the wheel and not drive.

Talia McKinley gives a brief wave to Velum and Jayson. "I'll meet y'all back somewhere else." Jerks a thumb in the direction of the Firehawk. "Got my own ride, after all." Though as she turns to head towards the aircraft, she casts a glance over at the superweapon again... Hope this doesn't turn into one of those plots where the Decepticons steal the funky new McGuffin to use on the Autobots!

Thankfully, Autobots are made of sterner stuff!

Franklin Cross watches his soldiers begin to pack up. Jayson and Velum both earn a frown as they clamber inside of Specter, but he doesn't comment on it. Otherwise, he returns to the shuttle that brought him here, and his Jump Tank rolls back inside as well.

================================== Reports ===================================

Message: 9/29                     Posted        Author

FIREFIGHT! on Franklin Cross pt.1 Fri Jul 27    Franklin Cross

--

Those tuning into GNN tonight will be able to catch "Firefight," a political debate show like Hannity & Colmes, except the hosts aren't a bunch of *weenies,* which has been the infamous tagline of Firefight for several years.

A somewhat stocky, heavyset man who looks like he could beat the crap out of an entire prison's worth of felons with his bare hands starts the show off. "Evening, viewers, my name is Mark "The Block" Johnson, and we're here to talk about the EDC's new commander, Franklin Cross. Today, he gave a presentation before the UN's delegates where he announced his promotion, and more importantly, the EDC's new mission to kick the Decepticons in the ASS. And check this out, he's got this new ray gun that turns Decepticons to DUST!"

A video clip plays, showing Franklin Cross speaking into the camera, really close and intimately. "I have a message for you, Galvatron. You thought your energy ray would destroy our civilization, and it very nearly did, I'll give you that. But we know what you did. And how. It wasn't an EMP. Your energy ray changed the molecular structure of metals so that they could no longer conduct electricity. And what you didn't know at the time is that we had a scientific satellite orbiting the planet. It was caught in the energy wave, but not enough to destroy it. No, but it did send back some VERY interesting readings, which I examined personally. I've reverse-engineered your technology, Galvatron. And now watch what I can do to the stuff YOU'RE made of."

He steps aside, revealing a flatbed trailer holding two things: A Decepticon Seeker arm placed on top of some metal slab, and a weird looking technological device that's firing a beam at the arm. Eventually the arm cracks and disintegrates into dust on prolonged exposure. After that happens, Franklin Cross steps in front of the camera and says, "You tried to destroy us, Galvatron. But you've succeeded only in destroying yourself."

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================================== Reports ===================================

Message: 9/30                     Posted        Author

FIREFIGHT! on Franklin Cross pt.2 Fri Jul 27    Franklin Cross

--

The clip ends, returning the show to the set of 'Firefight.' "YEAH!" Mark roars, slamming a fist down onto his table. "That's what I'm talking about! He told those Decepticons what's what!" He sighs, and looks across the curvy, overdesigned table he's sitting behind. "Buuuut I suppose you got a different opinion, Francis," he snorts.

The show cuts to Francis Delecroix, who's something of a lanky man, but what he lacks in bulk he seems to make up for with manic energy as his body slightly twitches every now and then. "This new Commander is a disgrace! How could the UN security council approve of this man? Oh, sure, most of the member nations seem to like him, but not all of them do! He could cause nations to break away and the EDC will lose some of its funding! And altering the Geneva Conventions to only be applicable to humans--that's just... I don't even have words! What, are we saying the Autobots don't have any rights, either?"

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================================== Reports ===================================

Message: 9/31                     Posted        Author

FIREFIGHT! on Franklin Cross pt.3 Fri Jul 27    Franklin Cross

--

Mark rolls his eyes and grunts, "Oh, come on. Anyone who breaks ranks with the UN at this point is too much of a wuss to be help us anyway. And we're still allied with the Autobots, like he said. This is just so we can kick the Decepticons when they're down."

"And what if that changes?" Francis snaps. "What if the UN suddenly decides, gee, we don't have to honor our agreements with the Autobots, either, because they're just stupid robots and screw them anyway!"

"That won't freaking happen," Mark says. "Most people are SMART ENOUGH to know the difference between the Autobots and Decepticons and they wouldn't let their leaders get away with pulling a stunt like that."

"So you say," Francis continues. "But what about other aliens? What's our excuse there? We have Nebulans in the EDC. Do they have any rights? Oh, gosh, maybe we should have thought of that!"

Mark just throws up his hands and sighs heavily. "You're blowing this out of proportion! We can add Geneva Protections for the Nebulans, too. Can't be that hard."

"But that's not how the Geneva Conventions are supposed to work!" Francis rages, his fist tightening around a pencil. "You don't go, 'Heehee, I get to pick and choose who gets rights!'"

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================================== Reports ===================================

Message: 9/32                     Posted        Author

FIREFIGHT! on Franklin Cross pt.4 Fri Jul 27    Franklin Cross

--

"You little pencil-neck!" Mark snaps angrily, pointing a finger in Francis's face. "Do you have any idea how many people died during the Long Night? No? Well, neither do I, but I can bet your ass that it's a LOT. For weeks, people didn't know if they'd get the food and water they'd need to survive, and a lot of them didn't. Those *bleep*ing Decepticon scumbags don't respect our rights so why the hell should we give them any? We're giving them the advantage for no friggin' reason. And besides, we cut one of those bastards up, we might find a way of beating them for good!"

"Spoken like a goddamn NAZI," Francis says, pointing a finger back at Mark. "Maybe you'd want to incinerate the Decepticons and throw them in mass graves when you're done, huh?"

"Oh, like they're so helpless! You dumb putz!" Mark grunts.

"*bleep* you!"

"No, *bleep* YOU!"

As they loudly rage at one another, the camera pulls back, and the ticker at the bottom reads: "Next up: Should we legalize marriages with fictional characters?"

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==================================== EDC =====================================

Message: 22/23                    Posted        Author

Repeating History 1               Fri Jul 27    Amber MacKenzie

--

Today, I saw something that I'd never expected to see again, though I should have. Sadly enough, humanity doesn't learn from history, which is why we repeat it so often. Today, I saw reasoning beings classified as non-human and denied the protection of human law, even though they would definitely pass every test of sapience. The repeating history reference? World War II and Hitler's treatment of those he labeled as less than human. Surely we haven't forgotten so soon. Technically, it was the Decepticons that our frightened politicians decided were unworthy of being considered reasoning beings, but does no one else realize that the Autobots also fall under that draconian judgment? They are the same species! The. Same. Species. What applies to one, will apply to the other. I even heard the intention of experimentation on captured enemies... Dr. Mengele, anyone?

I have no quarrel with killing the enemy, but this deliberate corruption of the Geneva conventions sets a horrific precedent. Will they include the Nebulans, the Monacans, the Brandaxians, and the Kwarchians as non-human next? Or are we racial supremists enough to decree that only organic races qualify as "human"? From what I've seen in this war, this regard of a species as "subhuman" is the same as that held by the Decepticons themselves. Amazing, isn't it, that we are using them as our role models.

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==================================== EDC =====================================

Message: 22/24                    Posted        Author

Repeating History 2               Fri Jul 27    Amber MacKenzie

--

I have personally worked and fought with our Autobot allies, and I am proud to call some of them my friends. Time and time again they have risked their own lives for my sake and for the sakes of countless other human beings, and they deserve better than this. For myself, I will not serve in an organization that believes that only *human* beings have rights. Believe it or not, we are part of a galactic community, and there's a lot more out there than our petty, arrogant definitions of humanity.

Amber MacKenzie

Citizen of Earth, Citizen of this Galaxy

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============================ BB Post in Progress =============================

Group: EDC

Title: A Message From Cross pt. 1

--

In a message locked so that only current EDC members can view it, Franklin Cross appears in an office... somewhere? It's not really obvious, but regardless, he speaks into the camera. "Greetings, soldiers. I see that there has already been an extreme reaction to my appointment as Commander. I must say that I figured that this might happen, though I had hoped it wouldn't come to that. I know some of you are concerned about our new direction, but the simple fact of the matter is, we can't afford to play games anymore. I want you to see something." He holds up a large photograph of a vast ruined military complex, with hollowed-out hangars and structures everywhere. Construction vehicles are at work clearing the debris. "See this? That's Alameda. They're STILL trying to clean it up and find the bodies of slain servicemembers." He sets the picture aside, and clasps his fingers together across his desk. "Ladies and gentlemen, we are on the ropes. Our infrastructure is nearly gone, many of our best men are dead, and we quite honestly don't have the luxury of granting rights to... *entities* that never had them to begin with."

Cross clears his throat. "You heard that correctly. The UN Security Council went over the Geneva Conventions very carefully. They were written exclusively with humans in mind, not animals, rocks, or hypothetical--at the time--aliens from space. I challenge anyone to dispute that. So, our revision, as it were, basically amounted to a clarification, like if you have a regulation against automatic weapons. Where do semi-automatic weapons fit in, then? You either say it doesn't apply because they aren't fully automatic, or you say they're just automatic enough to be covered by the regulation. It was that sort of decision. To be quite honest, this was more of a warning to the Decepticons that we weren't going to be going easy on them anymore. In all honesty nothing has changed, it's just that now no one will be surprised when the Decepticons' non-existent rights are violated.

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==================================== EDC =====================================

Message: 22/26                    Posted        Author

A Message from Cross pt. 2        Fri Jul 27    Franklin Cross

--

"On the other hand, after watching Firefight on GNN, I suppose the Council did make an egregious mistake in regards to organic aliens. I will ask the Council to deliberate on the matter, but the problem is defining what exactly qualifies as something that should be protected. It may take a hearing or two to ensure that Nebulans and the like are granted protection by the Geneva Conventions. For the time being, however, the odds of the EDC having to engage in armed conflict with human nations are extremely low, and even if it did come down to an alien EDC prisoner being mistreated by an opposing force, well, let's just say said force would suffer immense repercussions for doing so, including but not limited to the EDC not showing up when the Decepticons attack. I think that's a deterrent enough for most petty tyrants, given how we're the only Terran force that has even half a chance of defeating the Decepticons. So, in short, all alien personnel have little cause for concern. And, how alien personnel are treated or how EDC rules and regulations apply to them has not changed, either. If an EDC human struck an EDC alien without cause he'd be in the brig for it as surely as if he had struck another EDC human.

"One last matter. I know many of you are concerned about Commander Faireborn. I could not say so at the UN plaza, but I can say it here. She's fallen extremely ill." Cross's mouth tightens. "We're not sure how it happened, but we believe that she may have drank contaminated water during the Long Night. Her... medical situation is precarious, and due to her status she's being cared for in a secure location. And, as you may imagine, I do NOT want that information leaking to the press. If you wish to send her a "Get Well" message, please send it to me either in person or via my email address. I'm very sorry, but attempting to meet with her in person may lead the Decepticons to her position, so this is all we can do. Well. That is all for now. If anyone has any further concerns, please bring them to me."

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================================== Autobot ===================================

Message: 3/103                    Posted        Author

Status of CDR Faireborn           Fri Jul 27    Franklin Cross

--

(Text only:)

Commander Faireborn has fallen ill. She is, as a result, no longer physically fit to command, and is receiving care in an undisclosed secure location. We ask that you do not notify the media of her current status. Direct further questions to me.

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