[b]Delta Cephei System[/b]

Amidst the wreckage of various ships and battle mechs, the Astafanel remains pristine. No damage befell it, thanks to its ability to slow down time itself and the skills of its pilot, Rastun. The floating hunks of space debris were once space pirates that terrorized this sector. Normally, they would have been left to the local law enforcement if not for the fact that they stumbled into technology that removes chunks of the timeline. Naturally, they were first given a chance to surrender the forbidden technology, but they refused as most do and now the pirates became nothing more than scrap. Rastun would have recovered the tech, but the pirates already activated it and he had no time to disarm the device, so he opted for its destruction instead. The Overseers would understand since they value the stability of the timeline above all else.

As if on cue, Rastun gets a comm message from Overseer HQ. 

"Agent Rastun, have you completed your mission?" 

"Yes, sir," Rastun responds. "The threat has been eliminated and the timeline didn't become any more unstable than it already is."

"Good work. Did you recover the device?"

"No sir, I was forced to destroy it," Rastun flatly responded. There would be no regrets over the loss of a potential hazard. He added, "The device was already armed and there was no time to deactivate it, I had little choice."

"Understandable. Now that we know of your status, it's time to give you a new mission. You are to investigate two individuals who have recently warped into this sector's timeline." A holographic star chart pops up in his cockpit, along with its set coordinates.

"That's a pre-Slam timeline! What makes these two so special that they'd warrant pursuit, sir?" Rastun asked. 

"They are Cybertronians who do not appear to be affiliated with the ones we know of. Readings suggest their warp methods are similar to our own and they may have other technology comparable to ourselves. Whoever these two are, they must be watched carefully."

Rastun understands somewhat, but is still hesitant and replies, "With all due respect sir, contact with High Command would be near-impossible the moment I set foot in that timestream. Plus, aren't there more suitable agents than myself for this kind of mission?" 

"Yes, but there are still windows of opportunity available for communication due to spacetime fluctuations. Out of everyone in our organization, you are the one who is most acutely aware of these changes in reality. You're the only one we can depend on at the moment for this assignment, especially since others are busy with their own tasks." 

He sighs at this news. Rastun never was one for recon and surveillance, especially in a timeline predating the Slam, but High Command apparently has far too much faith in him. Either that, or they're very overzealous about others having comparable technology to themselves. "Understood, sir," he merely says. The comm links then closed on both sides and a rift in spacetime appeared in front of the Astafanel, opening itself up to fit the machine within its maw. Rastun plunges inside and after he does so, the rift closes. Hopefully whatever waited for him on the other side wouldn't be too chaotic.