ANH 'verse. Alderaanian space. Something's missing....

[random_xtras]

"You got the coordinates wrong!" says Jetfire to his tiny navigator, only to cringe before the torrent of angry beeping that the little gold and white femme gives him. "Airazor, the kid can understand you! Okay fine! Then where is it?"

"Where indeed?" Scavenger is frowning through the viewscreen, his optics tracking the swarm of asteroids that have taken the place of the planet Alderaan, and then flicking to Kia as she stirs and hugs herself uncertainly.

Comments

[random_xtras]

"But that feeling?" asks Kia as her mentor joins her on the deck.

"You're feeling the dark side," says Scavenger quietly as he too walks in.

Kia's optics go nearly white with alarm.

[astrotechmech]

Random flinches and nearly falls back into the hole at Scavenger's sudden response.

And then.

" . . . I think I liked it better when I thought everything was a legend."

[random_xtras]

"The dark side?" Jetfire frowns at the older bot. "So... what does that mean?"

"It can mean a lot of things. Including maybe that Nemesis Prime is on this ship."

"Nemesis Prime? The guy that killed Optimus???" Hot Shot is suddenly all interest.

[astrotechmech]

Random's optics widen and he stands closer to Kia. "We're doomed."

[random_xtras]

"Not necessarily," Scavenger tells Random. "We just have to figure out how to get that tractor beam shut down. And then we can get out of here."

[astrotechmech]

"Which involves either going into their control room or going to the generator itself and shutting it off while avoiding capture on a ship where we're outnumbered by more than 800 to 1 by Astrotroopers--if this ship is indeed larger than one that attacked us a few solar cycles ago--and none of us bear any resemblance to the factory-made Astrotroopers. So unless you have a dozen holographic machines or parts to make some . . . "

[random_xtras]

"I got two..." says Jetfire thoughtfully.

[astrotechmech]

"Ah, so two of us are not doomed!" he remarks in the same tone. "That sounds wonderful!"

[random_xtras]

"No, dumbaft. Stop and think. Two Astrotroopers, and two astrotech mechs. Who's gonna look at that? And usin' us for cover, you 'n the kid could tap into the computer and find what we needed to shut off the tractor beam!"

[astrotechmech]

"1) Language, 2) according to the Empire astrotechs aren't supposed to think, and 3) supposing then that the Minicons can then pass off as 'slaves,' what about the fifth Bulk? Staying on this ship's probably not a good idea."

[random_xtras]

"The little people are stayin' here. And...." Jetfire frowns at Scavenger.

"Don't worry about me," says the old mech absently, his optics focused elsewhere. "I'll be alright."

[astrotechmech]

Random raises an optic ridge at Scavenger's behavior before turning back to Jetfire. "I guess then they'd be able to tell us if they've starting taking the ship apart for scrap metal . . . Where's the 'projectors?"

[random_xtras]

Jetfire too gives the Jedi a funny look. But then he shakes his head and turns away. "I'll get 'em. Kid, lose the cube."

"Yeah yeah, I'm workin' on it." Hot Shot chugs as the smuggler captain leaves the bridge.

[astrotechmech]

Since Jetfire left, Scavenger is off in his own little world, and Hot Shot is working on his drink, he looks down at Kia thoughtfully.