WELCOME TO DREAMWIDTH, HERO...

[The video opens to a close-up view of a dog's muzzle as it sniffs at the camera. After a few seconds (wherein the dog no doubt realized the camera was not something it could eat, and therefor lost all interest in it) the muzzle retreats from view.]

[Several feet away, half-way off screen, Red Alert sits at a dining table, completely oblivious to the camera now recording him. His posture is tense and hunched over, his elbows propped up on the table-top as he cradles his head in his hands. Judging by his overall body-language and the half-empty bottle of aspirin sitting in front of him, he's likely nursing the mother of all migraines.]

[The muzzle from the begining of the feed appears again, this time with the rest of the dog in plain view. Said dog slowly pads over to Red Alert and lays its head on his thigh, whining softly. Red drops one hand from his own head to the dog's, rubbing it's ear in a gesture meant to sooth.]

Shh, Cobalt. I'm alright.

[He punctuates this statement by opening his eyes and giving the dog a look, as if to say "see? I'm perfectly fine." Then, out of habit, his eyes drag themselves up to scan the room, his gaze sweeping from floor to ceiling in a quick, well-practiced maneuver. That's when he notices the camera.]

[His immediate response is to freeze, then mutter something colorful in Cybertronain. He stands quickly, his movements stiff as he walks over to the camera and picks it up. This close up, his eyes appear bruised and bloodshot, as if he's gone a few days without sleep. He frowns at the camera, though there isn't really any heat or effort behind it.]

Ignore this.

[And with that curt order, he cuts the feed.]

In wake of recent events, namely the incident in Venezuela, I've noticed that a large number of the imPort population is vying for revenge against Vulcanus. Or "justice", if you'd prefer. In my experience I've found that most people use the words interchangeably.

But I digress.

As understandably upset as you may be for the attack against yourselves and-or your fellow imPorts, I urge those of you who are considering taking retaliatory action to consider this: war perpetuates war. Speaking as someone who's fought in a war spanning over several million years, I can confidently say that the harder you fight them, the harder they fight back.

[There's a short, bitter pause.]

Now I'm not saying we shouldn't fight. I'm not saying we should stand by and allow them to continue threatening our lives. I'm not so foolish as to think anyone would bother listening to me even if I did; in fact I'm fairly certain a great deal of you have stopped listening already. The point I'm trying to make is that your safety should take higher precedence than your desire to have Vulcanus taken out. Don't start fights unless you know you will win them. Don't go after members of Vulcanus thinking they'll lose strength if they loose number. If anything, it will give them power. It will prove that we're dangerous and that we'll need to be controlled. It will convince more people to join their ranks.

We're on the defensive, here. Any show of retaliation from us will give power to them, and they're a powerful enough threat without some would-be vigilantes giving them fuel for the fire.

If we're going to stop Vulcanus, we need a solid, unified, effort. Not a handful of turbo-revving punks attacking any Vulcanus member they come across. Until we have an official plan and the proper means to take them on, I urge all imPorts to avoid taking things into their own hands. If not for your own sakes, than for everyone else who'll be caught in the cross-fire.