ANH 'verse. Somewhere in space. Team dynamics?

[random_xtras]

"This from the mech who parked in a giant space worm's belly?"

"I was a little outta it at the time, in case you hadn't noticed, Princess."

Kia looked up as a boom rang through the hold. "That panel doesn't go there, Hot Shot."

"What?" The yellow mech looked at her. "No way! I was sure it went here."

The young femme shook her head seriously, then winced as Jetfire banged another panel against a spot on a wall opposite to the one it was supposed to be attached to.

Comments

[astrotechmech]

His arm was doing much better now. It just needed a check-up with an actual medic. However, the same could not be said for his head.

Scary monsters . . . . More repairs . . . Arguing . . .

Not to mention the fact he was surrounded by idiots.

He could barely resist the urge to facepalm.

When we get back, I'm retiring . . . Or at the very least getting an on-base job.

[random_xtras]

"So anyway, Princess...."

"Jetfire?"

"Yeah, kid?" He turned and looked down at the little silver femme, who looked back earnestly.

"That's not where that goes. Is this one of those 'do it wrong so you get chased out of the room' things?"

The white and red flyer goes o.0, and then shakes his head. "No! No way, kid. Um...." He looks at the panel in his hands. "...So where does this go?"

"Over there." She gives him her sweet, shy smile as she points, then squeaks a Murphy romps up to her with something in his hand. "Ohhh, what's this?"

[astrotechmech]

Random couldn't help it. He facepalmed at Jetfire's painfully honest question.

Then he stared at the thing in Murphy's hand.

[random_xtras]

"A glitchmouse? You mean they're real little bots?" She touches the tiny thing with one finger, watching as its 'whiskers' tremble. "Was it messing up the Falcon?"

Murphy shakes his head and beeps, then turns and holds the glitchmouse up to Jetfire, who is returning for the tools to keep the panel on the wall. The red and white mech takes one look at the tiny being.

And then screams like a little girl.

[random_xtras]

Murphy looks up at Random and blinks his visor a bit, then beeps and nods. Yes, he's sure. His mouse lives in a box and only eats what he gives to him to eat.

[astrotechmech]

Random raises an optic ridge at that, somehow maintaining his Kia-rubbing. "How long have you had him?"

[random_xtras]

Only a few stellar cycles. The little Minicon gently strokes his tiny prize with one finger, then beeps laughter as the glitchmouse climbs up his arm and sits up on his shoulder with the proud air of a pet who is usually well rewarded for his antics.

[random_xtras]

The younger mech stares at it, and then raises a protest.

"Now the cord's coming out the wrong end!"

[astrotechmech]

Random reaches over and turns the part 45 degrees to the right.

[random_xtras]

"It's still not the right...." Hot Shot stops. "Hey... how'd you do that?"

[random_xtras]

Arcee looks from one mech to the other, her expression holding shock and bewilderment.

[astrotechmech]

"So, um, yeah Kia's a newspark, and," he says to Arcee, still slightly creeped out by Hot Shot's behavior before turning to Hot Shot himself,"what do you mean 'it's time?!'"

[random_xtras]

"Uh...." The yellow mech scratches the side of his nose. "I... don't know. I just know it is."

Arcee goes 0_o.

[random_xtras]

"Random?" says Arcee cautiously.

[astrotechmech]

"Yeah?" His voice holds a bit of bitterness, which covers some of his worry.

[random_xtras]

"Is there anything else you'd like to tell me?"

[random_xtras]

"Whose bright idea was it to open both aft external holds? Do you know what could've happened if I hadn't...." Jetfire storms in, and then stops short. "Oh slag. Kid, get away from there."

[astrotechmech]

Random pauses from his getting up from the ground to see exactly what Hot Shot is looking and messing with. "Now what did he do?"

[random_xtras]

"Thought that was the control panel for the power grid." The flyer walks over and looks at it. "What'dya want turned off?"

[random_xtras]

"What, we have two junior jedi?" The white and red mech narrows one optic incredulously.

[astrotechmech]

Random looks over at Hot Shot for the answer.

[random_xtras]

"We don't have any jedi." The young mech doesn't look up from what he's tinkering with. "I'm just a learner, and Kia...."

He glances over at the slender sleeper. "She's just special."

Jetfire looks down at she and Random. "Doesn't the special little flower sleep on a berth?"

[random_xtras]

Arcee is very surprised. In her experience the little people have always been more or less friendly to the Rebels, but she's never known any of them to actually go out of their way to recharge on someone.

"So... you're carrying her to protect her?"

Busy beeping comes from over by Jetfire's feet as Murphy offers him screws to hold something together with. Arcee turns and eyes the little bot thoughtfully, wondering at him.

[astrotechmech]

" . . . You could say that." No, he was not about to admit he's jealous. Nope. Not going to happen. Never.

[random_xtras]

"I'm starting to think the worm ate us and this is all a tripped out dream." She sighs and turns to go to the parts pile.

"Hey, if that's what rocks your boat, Princess," comes the smart remark from Jetfire's direction.

"If you'd taken care of the stupid thing it wouldn't rock!"

"You know." Hot Shot pauses. "You two fight like a bonded couple."

The silence that falls over the hold echoes.