ANH 'verse. The Death Star. Waiting . . . waiting . . .

[astrotechmech]

Random turns the swivel chair back and forth, back and forth. 'Lock the door,' they said! 'Hope they don't have blasters,' they said! Well, the door is locked, and the Astrotroopers certainly have blasters! It is just going be only a matter of time before they discover that fact and try to blast the door open!

On top of that it turns out Princess Arcee is here. In the detention block. Awaiting termination. Jetfire and Hot Shot are seeing if they can prevent that. Nobody else from the ship was listed in the computer's databanks though.

Random stops moving the chair like an irritated organic does its tail, sighs, and rubs his face, grieving the loss of his crewmates.

Comments

[random_xtras]

Big optics watch him from the next chair as Kia wonders why he looks so sad. The little femme doesn't say anything, though. That funny feeling that Scavenger said might be the dark side is back, only now it feels even worse.

[astrotechmech]

Random just sits there with his hand over his face. Not crying, but not exactly with his mind in the present either.

[random_xtras]

The young femme is quiet for a few clicks, then looks up at him again and says calmly and with confidence in her mentor, "I'm afraid."

[astrotechmech]

Random reaches over and rubs her back. "Me too, Kia, me too, but it'll be all right."

He hoped so anyway. He looks down to the gun Jetfire had given her, thinking again.

[random_xtras]

And now she's looking up at him with complete trust, waiting for him to lead the way.

[astrotechmech]

He notices her look, and then looks down at the gun again.

"If we go into the tunnels we shouldn't have any problems, but . . ." He trails off before he begins to explain--in hopefully simple enough words--how to use the gun to her.

[random_xtras]

"Okay." Kia puts the gun carefully into the compartment, then touches the doll with a gentle finger, her chin moving slightly as she thinks of Sneaker and how nice he was to her.

Sighing, she closes the panel and once more looks up at Random.

[astrotechmech]

Random watches her movements before the memories of his friend are too connected to the doll in her compartment and he pulls his gaze away.

"I s-suppose we c-can go now," he stutters slightly as he begins to walk over to the door.

[random_xtras]

There are a few shouts, and the sound of running feet. But the hallway right outside the door seems to be very quiet.

[astrotechmech]

Random frowns as he hears this. Something must be going on. He debates opening the door now or not. If they were casual they might make it . . .

Random's hand hovers over the lock.

[random_xtras]

Kia's watching everything without seeming to, and as she does she sends a quick databurst to Random. {com or no com?}

[astrotechmech]

Random keeps a look out for other astrotechs as he move through the narrow corridors. He struggles to think of a way to say 'might not be a good idea' in the shortest way possible so he simply replies, {no comm}

[random_xtras]

The little black Minicon gives him a victory sign, his blue optics twinkling, then hops off the Trooper he was sitting on and scoots toward the Falcon, beeping for Random and Kia to follow him.

[astrotechmech]

That explains it. The Minicons must have had something to do with the 'Troopers.

Random takes one last look around the hangar before he moves to stand beside Kia with his hand hovering behind her back as he 'guides' her back to the ship. He'll more than likely an arm around her shoulders once they're inside.

[random_xtras]

"Primus will take care of us." Her voice comes a little stronger. "He has been already. We'll be okay. We'll be okay."

[astrotechmech]

Random keeps rubbing her back and starts to relax, listening and taking in her words.

[random_xtras]

Murphy looks up and waves, then climbs onto the table and starts gnawing at a corner of one of the bricks, his denta making a grinding sound as he noms busily.

At the sound Kia turns her head, her expression going to 'o.0?'

[astrotechmech]

Random raises an optic ridge as he gets nearer to the table, preparing to shift how he is carrying Kia so he can pick up one of the bricks without dropping her.

[random_xtras]

The black Minicon patpats the air in his direction, then jumps down to the floor and scoots out of the room.

And Kia sits and leans and mourns for a few more moments in silence before she stirs a little.

[astrotechmech]

Random watches him leave before resuming his stare at the wall.

[random_xtras]

She looks up at him, her chin quivering. "But... are we bad?"

[astrotechmech]

Random stops rocking her and looks down at her in return. "Why would we be bad?"

[random_xtras]

One slender hand comes out to pat pat him as she reminds very gently, "You weren't sure about some of the team on the ship, either."

[astrotechmech]

"And I tended to avoid them." Random rubs her back.

[random_xtras]

"N... no." Her soft voice shakes. "The bad feeling... it's happy."

[astrotechmech]

Random looks down at her and frowns. "Why would the 'bad feeling' be happy?"

[random_xtras]

Murphy shakes his head, but then looks up at Random and pings him on the com.

[astrotechmech]

Random frowns at that, and then answers the ping.

[random_xtras]

Kia shows a slight :\ at being set down, but all she does is get hold of the safety harness and strap herself in.

Behind them, at the com station, Commetor beeps. Murphy razzes him, but nods.

[astrotechmech]

Random gives her an apologetic look in return and turns his attention to what the Minicons are doing and saying.

[random_xtras]

"Please, Airazor... stop spinning?" Kia's soft voice shakes slightly.

The little femme beeps with aggravation, the gist of her reply being that she doesn't know how.

[astrotechmech]

"Do any of you actually know how to fly this thing?!"

[random_xtras]

Jetfire and Arcee soon vanish from view of the screen, and there's a soft vibration in the deck as the hold door opens to receive them.

And then Hot Shot is twisting to face a squadron of Tie fighters that just arched around the curve of the Death Star.

[astrotechmech]

Random's optics widen at the 'fighters. //Get in here, idiot!//

"Airazor, what's this thing got in terms of weapons?"

[random_xtras]

Before she can reply the Falcon shakes under a volley of shots which knocks Commetor right out of his seat. From somewhere down the hall comes Kia's cry of fear and Hot Shot's bluff words of comfort mixed in with Murphy's excited cussing as the black Minicon runs for the other gun.

[astrotechmech]

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" It's more a cry of frustration then of . . . You know what, there's no pain. Well, . . . No.

Actually, it could be pain, considering he wants to bang his head against the wall at the moment. Between the mutterings and the trying to outmaneuver something when he doesn't really know much about combative flying.

[random_xtras]

Kia tries to help, but only succeeds in wrenching her fingers and bending two of them badly. "Ahh!"

And then she's crying as the ship does even more aerial acrobatics.

[astrotechmech]

Pain shoots up his arm as both his arm and the tools twist violently from trying to keep a firm position when his legs aren't even locked down yet. "Kia! Just hang on to me!"

Random finally gets his feet magnetized to the floor just as the ship begins its next round of acrobatics.

[random_xtras]

The little pink and white femme sends back an absent, quizzical beep over her com.

[astrotechmech]

//What's going on?//

[random_xtras]

It's a bit worse than the last time she bent her fingers. And probably hurts like blazes. But Kia firms her chin to keep it from wibbling and looks up at him as bravely as she can in her quiet way.

[astrotechmech]

"Well," Random says, activating his scanners to get a better look at the internals inside of the bent fingers to see if bending the fingers back into place would be a good idea, "at least it's at the joints that you bent your fingers at. Had it been anywhere else I might not have been able to do anything."

[random_xtras]

Hot Shot is also now offering a strip of cloth to bind the damaged hand till the self repair finishes its job. His expression is still intent with concentration as he focuses on blocking Kia's pain receptors.

"Alright," says Kia, looking down at her hand again and then peeking at the yellow bot.

[astrotechmech]

Random accepts the cloth with a nod, and he carefully binds Kia's hand.

Once he does that, he gives Kia's back a rub for a few moments before he tries to sit up while keeping a hold on Kia, wincing as he puts weight on the damaged arm.

[random_xtras]

"When she left the hold."

[astrotechmech]

Random continues to frown. //Arcee?//

[random_xtras]

She is determinedly cleaning up the mess she made, her small face drawn up a bit with disgust.

[astrotechmech]

"Be careful with your hand while you're doing that," he says automatically. "Do you want some help?"

[random_xtras]

"Aren't you going to eat, Random?" Big optics look up at him.

[astrotechmech]

"I will in a little bit," Random says, finding a place to sit down, placing a chair right-side-up if need be. Remember Kia, he wasn't the one who found his tank contents suddenly displaced.