ANH. Jabba The Hutt's Palace and the sarlacc pit, Tatooine. Rescue.

[random_xtras]

Kia glances around without turning her head as she walks between Random and the disguised bot who is herding them into this big, stinky, sandy, shady place at gunpoint. The place is loud, smells disgusting, and Random didn't want her seeing what was going on in here, so she's trying not to see too much as she looks for friends, and she's pouting really hard to show that she doesn't want to be here and doesn't like this restraining bolt. She hopes she's a good actor, because she's really so excited that it's all she can do not to be jumping up and down right now, or running back the way they came to poke that brain in a jar that she saw walking past.

Comments

[astrotechmech]

Random doesn't have to pretend to be disgusted or pretend to look like he didn't want to be here.

Because he didn't want to be here.

But he's dealing with it. Because this is what you do when you're a Rebel astrotech associated with the Princess and the great Jedi Hot Shot and Jetfire apparently.

If Primus hadn't given him that pep talk, he wouldn't even have let himself be taken back to this miserable desert planet at all. He thinks he's already gotten sand in his joints!

He is still questioning why they need to be here, though.

[random_xtras]

Kia sees Murphy! The little bot is standing there in his disguise over by... oh, that guy's gross. She doesn't want to see him, so she looks at the floor and talks to the bigger Creator, that Primus says can hear her thoughts even better than he can. Then she looks up again as the bot with the gun produces the thermal detonator, and she thinks back to how mad Random had gotten when he learnt that one of those was in the plan. That one wouldn't really blow up, but there's no way to tell, and everyone in the room seems to be doing their versions of busting gaskets or overflowing oil pans. Even though they're bad people, Kia doesn't like seeing them so scared, so now her frown is very real.

[astrotechmech]

Yes, Random knows the thing isn't real but he still has to make sure Kia's firmly behind him . . . just in case.

[random_xtras]

Kia watches as the disguised bot demands the credit, is called the same kind of scum as the yucky guy, and is given the credit that was demanded. Then she squeals with very real protest and alarm as a large organic in armour grabs her at the yucky looking guy's order to take her and Random to the dungeons. She knew they were going to a cell, but she didn't know someone was going to pick her up and take her away from Random!

[astrotechmech]

Random gingerly adjusts his position to avoid spots of his chassis that are still smarting from his recent abuse and pulls her closer. He then starts rubbing her back as he tries to help calm her trembling.

"Should . . . be." Does he . . . suddenly sound really tired?

[random_xtras]

"No. I'm okay. Been hit harder by Comettor love taps." Airazor gently pats Random, but then stops and scans him as she catches his tone of voice.

[astrotechmech]

Don't mind him. He really isn't designed for getting roughly handled, thrown, and kicked, so his self-repair is protesting his further exertion in trying to get to Kia.

Now he's just breathing heavily as he tries to get over the pain and calm Kia down.

Keeping his optic shutters open isn't really a priority for him at the moment either.

[astrotechmech]

"Oof!" Random should have expected something to happen, but he's still unprepared when Jetfire randomly drops him and he falls hard on the floor.

He takes a deep breathe to keep himself from muttering, waits a moment, and then makes his way to his feet.

Once there, he'll try doing that scanning thing again since Airazor's divebombed the other mech.

[random_xtras]

Jetfire should not have been on his feet. He's critically low on energy, and none of his systems are working properly yet. Some day he might be embarrassed about how he looks now. But right now, since he feels as pitiful as he looks, he doesn't care.

"Come this way! Come on, you hunk of useless scrap!" Airazor tugs determinedly at one drooping wing.

"'Razor?" Jetfire's head goes up a little, his expression brightening just a tiny bit as he realizes that one of his two leading ladies is here to cuss him out. "Ow. Easy. ...Movin'. Ugh."

Kia watches him start to crawl away from the stinking hole in the floor by the door and wibbles in sympathy.

[astrotechmech]

Okay, he sees a lot of what was feared would happen to Jetfire after getting frozen. The freezing process has damaged a lot of the mech's systems and jeopardized the integrity of all the metal in his body, including the mech's wings and vital parts. And the tank purging hasn't helped his low fuel situation because now he's critical.

"Hold up, Airazor," Random says, coming back next to Jetfire and scanning the door for signs of the guards before unsubspacing a couple of items. "Not a medic, Jetfire, but the medics gave me a few things to help, if you'll take 'em."

[astrotechmech]

He does't see her look as he watches Jetfire sleep.

"Didn't sleep on the slaver ship, either," Random reminds her. "Knew I wouldn't be able to sleep here, which is why I was napping on our ride down here." And also the moment after he found out their ETA for leaving the Rebel fleet. Remember, Kia?

[random_xtras]

There's a small snort from beside him, and then she moves over to the end of the bench to hang her feet over and continue their cleaning til her hands fall still with a sigh. Since she can't get her mentor to rest, the little silver lady will just do it herself.

Early Afternoon of the Next Day

[astrotechmech]

Well, the wait was long and boring, but with exceptions of the usual sounds of misery and of guard patrols, there wasn't really anything nerve-wracking about the wait. Well, not in the same way as when he and Kia were hiding in the Millennium Falcon hidey hole. They were already caught. They were just waiting for someone to remember their existence.

Random was kept occupied by thinking over what Primus told him and by eating bits of the fuel he had packed with him after receiving the reassurance that he'd have access to his subspace.

The closest he got to sleep was some slight dozing his body finally allowed himself to do in the deadest part of the night.

While Random stayed awake, Kia mostly slept, waking up only a couple of times to eat a few lumps of fuel she had packed and which she shared bits of with Random.

Jetfire didn't appear to wake at all.

Random is frowning at this when the guards finally come and open their door. He starts slightly and holds Kia protectively, daring them to separate her from him.

[astrotechmech]

Random sees the drone's bap far too late to shield her from it, being momentarily distracted by his glare at the camera, but then he finds himself so dumbstruck by the gentleness of the bap that he merely stands there with Kia in a hug and a hand over her head.

The masked bot kicks Jetfire's feet into the room and the door shuts after him, leaving the the flier bot and astrotechs alone again.

[random_xtras]

"I'm okay, Random." Kia wraps her arms around him and squeezes, her feet going apart and bracing as she feels the deck start to move.

[astrotechmech]

He is . . . just going to rub your head and hug you back Kia. No, he doesn't remember that they're being watched, but maybe that'll make them look all the pitiful, huh?

He does sneak a scan at Jetfire just to make sure the mech hasn't really overexerted himself.

[astrotechmech]

Random holds her closer and rubs her back, her words reminding him of other words spoken in a similar situation long ago. He lowers his head down over her and nods slightly, unable to contain a cry-sounding breath that escapes him.

[random_xtras]

Kia's grip tightens further as the sound of feet becomes audible to the older bot. "We'll be free soon. And everyone will be safe. We can go home soon."

And softly softly that peace touches Random again, accompanied by a faint scent of Cybertron Sunrise.

[astrotechmech]

He's once again reminded of that same time and feels Primus and Kia comforting him just like Sneaker did then. He lets himself relax at the peace.

But he's not ready to let Kia go yet.

[astrotechmech]

Random dazedly looks at Kia when she pushes away from him and then is dumbfounded when she pulls a giant gun out of her subspace!

It takes him a long time to come up with words to say as he tries not to be sick at what landed up happening to Jabba. "Kia, what? How?"

He then jumps and reaches to take her back in his grip when he realizes what else is happening. He wants to take her away from this place now. 'Kay thanks.

Smokescreen's bashing away at the rest of the combatants and useing the Skyboom Shield to cover them from any gunshots coming their way. "Should we take that exit?"

[random_xtras]

"I... I did what I was supposed to." Kia flinches from another explosion as Random pulls her close. "The sarlacc's woke up, though."

And here is a Murphy, flinging aside pieces of disguise as he turns at bay in front of the astrotechs with his sturdy little feet braced and his fists clenched.

"Guys! Grab on!" Jetfire aims a hand in their direction as he uses the other hand to make the big gun roar and add to the pandemonium that is reigning in what's left of the room.

[astrotechmech]

Random shudders at the pandemonium around and lifts Kia up into his arms. He looks up when Jetfire offers the hand and then continues on towards the opening in the side of the ship.

"We'd get in the way with you. Just make sure no one shoots at us once we're out of here," Random says.

"Here," Smokescreen says, thrusting the black Minicon into Kia's arms. "Take him with you." Then Smokescreen turns back and punches another person in the face.

[astrotechmech]

Random wisely decides not to answer and then winces at the thud. That didn't sound good.

Aaaand he's not dealing with fighting Minicons on his back. He transforms while still in mid-air, catching Kia and boosting a tiny bit to avoid the two Minicons he dropped.

He'll then start making his way inside. He intends to find an unoccupied place to crash.

[random_xtras]

Kia looks back over Random's shoulder as her friends notcuss and laugh and wade after them through the sand, then looks ahead to where Jetfire is on his face again on the floor of the Falcon's main hold being carefully injected with another set of boosters by Arcee. She frowns at the concern and compassion she feels from Primus, then looks up at Random. "Remember, Arcee's got the guest cabin."

[astrotechmech]

Random slumps a bit at the reminder but nods. It'll be a bunk then.

He gladly leaves Jetfire to Arcee's care as he heads for the bunk room, not turning back when Smokescreen breathlessly comes into the Falcon and informs Arcee that Hot Shot was going to go his own way.

Random finds the bunkroom and sets Kia down beside the bottom bunk, already feeling the tiredness return to him now that he's in a familiar environment.