ANH 'verse. Slaver's transport on Tatooine. Start the story.

[random_xtras]

Restless, weary drones and organics rustled in the darkness of the hold, many of them uncomfortable in the heat of the world they'd landed on a few hours earlier. Over in one corner of the stinking, sweltering space two pair of glowing optics shone. The ones that were further from the floor held fear, the lower set, large and pale blue, held only patient exhaustion.

The silver femme frowned as an organic tentacle brushed against her leg, then moved her wrists in the restraining cuffs and looked up at her mentor as her soft voice broke the noisy silence.

"Random, I'm hungry."

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[astrotechmech]

He shifted awkwardly, and his face took on a worried kind of look. " . . . I'm not sure."

. . . Stopping . . .

[random_xtras]

Burning sunlight chases away the darkness around them, and rough hands drag and shove them roughly out of the carrier and force them to stand in a row. Kia, blinded and confused, stays as close to her mentor's side as she's able, and then hides her face against him to avoid both the light of the twin suns and the gazes of strangers.

[astrotechmech]

He had been dreading this moment, and now it was finally here.

As much as he was able, he tried to stay close to her as they made their way out even slowing his pace. They were not gonna take her away from him . . . Man, that sun--those suns were bright . . .

[random_xtras]

"Hey, Wheeljack, they have Transformers!" says a cheerful voice, sounding a little excited, and a tall yellow mech looks down at Kia and Random with a grin.

His friend doesn't glance up from where he's looking at the organic who had told Kia to shut up. "Find out what they can do."

"Sure, buddy." Still grinning, the yellow mech turns back to Random. "So what can you do?"

[astrotechmech]

Ugh. And the mech was okay with the fact that these creatures were selling off members of their own race? And why the heck didn't the slavers just snatch them up too?

The scowl he had quickly turns into a somewhat neutral expression, as he shifts his stance in a more protective position by Kia. "I'm good with fixing things: Mechanical, electrical, and I even have programming to deal with computers and computer programming problems." Just don't ask me to do anything medical.

[random_xtras]

"You're an astrotech?" The mech's optics brighten. "Sweet!"

He turns and walks over to the Quintesson in charge and asks him the price of the pair of Transformers, his face falling when the other mechanoid answers.

"Hey, Wheeljack, can I borrow some credit?"

"No. You already have most of mine."

"But I don't have enough for both of these guys!"

"So leave the femme. She doesn't look like she'd hold up anyway."

[astrotechmech]

Well, the mech didn't seem to be too bad of a character.

. . .

He shifts his position closer to Kia, if that's even possible. "If the femme's staying with the likes of them"--he tilts his head in the direction of one of the slavers--", I'm staying. I came too far with her to leave her behind."

Going over his bounds as a "slave" be blasted! He was sentient and he wasn't going to leave her!

Though he was still wondering why.

[random_xtras]

"Whoa!" The yellow mech catches the shock prod that the nearest Sharkticon swings at the blue slave. "Don't do that."

Then he looks at the other mech, his expression sober and quizzical. "Is she your bonded?"

[astrotechmech]

Random visibly flinches, fighting between the instinct to run and the one to remain as he is to protect the younger femme. His voice isn't as steady as it was when he first voiced his protest. "N-not quite."