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“Ah, Agent Jazz, thank you for your punctuality.” Commander Prowl gestured for the young mech to enter the room. “Please have a seat.”
“Uh, sure.” Jazz approached Prowl’s desk warily and settled into the chair across from the mech carefully. “Am I in trouble for something I don’t remember doing?”
“I know that mechanisms of your rank rarely come to my office for anything but disciplinary measures, but no.” Prowl gave him a tiny smile. “In fact, I have a proposition for you. A rather important one.”
“Okay. Not sure if I’m your mech, but I’ll listen.”
“Thank you.” Prowl nodded and then handed him a data pad. “As you know, you were recruited to Highbrow’s special operations division to act as an undercover agent by blending into enemy units and bringing back on the ground details, beyond the scope of what could be recovered from computers or listening devices.”
Jazz nodded.
“And you know that will will need to replace him, now that Highbrow is gone.”
“Uh, hold up.” Jazz raised a hand. “I really don’t think I’m your mech. I haven’t got enough experience for that.”
“You do not,” the Praxian agreed immediately. “And in fact, Agent Mirage has already been promoted, but that is not common knowledge yet. And I would prefer it not be, lest we have a repeat of Highbrow’s assassination. What I am proposing, Jazz, is that you use your excellent acting skills to pretend to be Highbrow’s replacement for as long as possible.”
“You… what?” The younger mech leaned back in his chair heavily, plating rattling slightly at the impact. “You want me to fake being the new intelligence lead in order to protect Mirage?”
“That is correct.”
“Commander, with all due respect, that’s insane.”
“Perhaps, but it will at least protect your friend while he settles into his new position, will it not?”
“It might, yeah, but have you really thought about what you’re asking me to do?” Jazz glanced down at the data pad and skimmed the first few lines of his new orders. “No, I don’t think you have. I can’t just act like I’m in charge, Commander. I have to be in charge. Even if its not official. That means the office, the promotion ceremony, the command meetings, all of it. Anything less and Decepticon intelligence will see right through this plan.”
Prowl opened his mouth to reply, and then closed it again. Jazz was right; he hadn’t considered the depth of detail that this ruse would require. But, that was why Jazz was an undercover operator and Prowl was not. “Then we will need to begin crafting the appropriate cover, which is why you are here.”
“I haven’t said yes yet.” Jazz frowned.
“But you haven’t said no, which I am certain you would have already if you weren’t at least intrigued by the idea.”
Jazz stared at him for a moment before laughing once softly. “Look, you played to my weakness. Everyone knows I’d do anything for Raj. And I do mean anything.”
“Then you accept?”
“Yeah, I accept. But we need to get him in here while we’re planning, so that he and I know how to act around each other once my “promotion” gets out.” Jazz sat back up and scooted his chair closer to Prowl’s desk. “And you should probably start with raising my security clearance. Cause I can’t play my part, if I gotta have my optics and audios off during command meetings.”
Prowl blinked as he realized the exact scope of what Jazz was saying. He had been thinking of this as nothing but a smokescreen for a few days, to keep Mirage from dying before he could properly take command of Autobot intelligence–but, even though Jazz had said they would have to make sure it passed Decepticon scrutiny, he hadn’t realized just how deeply they would look. “Are you certain?”
“Well, if I were an infiltrator trying to get dirt on the new ops lead, the first thing I’d do is hack into his personnel file. And then his immediate subordinates.” Jazz shrugged. “With respect, I don’t question your tactical decisions on the field, sir.”
“I apologize. I am learning rather quickly that your area of expertise is far, far outside my own.” Prowl cycled his vents and opened Jazz’s file so that he could make the appropriate edits. While he typed, he contacted Mirage. “I believe this will be a learning experience well beyond what I was expecting.”
“Probably. But it’ll be a hell of a trick if we pull it off.” Jazz grinned, and Prowl couldn’t help but smile in return.
It would be a ruse for the ages, if it worked.