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.

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[astrotechmech]

Random tilts his head at the sudden change to Jetfire because he hadn't been like this a second ago until he scans and surmises that the additional power source he reads on Jetfire by one of his powerlink ports is probably Airazor.

He knew Kashyyyk Minicons were weird. He just didn't know they gave their partners body upgrades in addition to weapon upgrades.

But he'd been wondering what would happen if Jetfire was limp when he got brought out. Random's glad he no longer has to worry.

Random reluctantly stands, but he's ready to pull Kia close to him if needed.

He catches Jetfire glancing back at them and in a whisper that is almost as quiet as mouthing he says, "Hot Shot."

[random_xtras]

Jetfire winks his understanding, then turns back to the guards. His back abruptly straightens as a cackling sound reaches his audios, but then he groans quietly and forces himself to slump weakly as he listens to that filthy greedo tell another one all about him and how he'd finally been outsmarted and captured by Cyclonus alone.

Kia too slips down, starting toward Jetfire til she hears that laughter. Then she's hunkering slightly, her gentle face crumpling into a scowl.

[astrotechmech]

" . . . it was just like shooting fish in a barrel!" the bounty hunter Cyclonus is saying as he and the masked bot covered in Autotrooper pieces come to the entrance of the cell. Cyclonus' most recent bout of cackling is cut short when he sees that the droids are staring dumbfound. "Haven't grabbed them yet?! Well, get moving you lazy junkheaps!"

Random jumps and grabs Kia as the bounty hunter shoots at one of the droids, causing it to spark and keel over.

Cyclonus ignores the astrotechs as Jetfire once again catches his optics. "Why, helloooooooooo there! So good to see you! I hope you got your beauty sleep! Because thanks to your little friend that's the last one you'll ever get!"

[random_xtras]

I'll shoot yer barrel, ya... Jetfire thinks of Kia and won't let himself even think the word. Instead he moans and rests his head on his knees, hoping to keep most of the greedos' attention to himself so that they'll keep their filthy hands off Kia.

Kia, for her part, is totally still, her scowl smoothing down into calm as she reaches to take Random's hand. And something else touches him when she does, a peace like the warm soft mud of the dream, and a wisp of approval and encouragement.

[astrotechmech]

Cyclonus smirks and cackles again when he sees Jetfire struggle.

"Whoopsie!" he says, unapologetically, as he kicks Jetfire over and cackles again.

The cackling suddenly stops as he turns back to the droids. "Well, what are you waiting for?!?" He then looks at the masked bot as he starts to leave the room. "Make sure they grab 'em!"

And with a faint echo coming from the hall, the bounty hunter is gone.

The masked bot looks at the droids and nods towards the astrotechs as he walks over to the knocked over flier bot.

Random wills himself to relax as he feels the peace, but he's still not looking forward to how the droids will "take" them. He pulls Kia closer to him.

[random_xtras]

Kia squeaks as one of the huge droids walks over and takes her arm in its pincer, then her brows do a rapid quirk and quiver dance as she just makes out a small form crawl out of the damaged droid out in the hall. A quick scan shows her that two of the remaining droids also have Minicon passengers, and she marvels to herself that the Air Defence Team has managed to stay quiet for so long. The droid that's holding her has no one in its pocket except some organic bugs, but it's not hurting her as it starts to turn toward the door with her aboard.

Jetfire flinches and flails slightly as two other droids heft him to his feet. "Ow! Who's there? Don't make me hurt ya... OW!" Shaking theatrically, he turns his face toward the remaining greedo.

[astrotechmech]

"Stop! Don't take her!" Random turns to the masked bot. "You've already taken our tools and put restraining bolts on us! We can't do anything else. Just let me keep her."

The masked bot finally turns in his direction as if noticing a bit of fluff that is easily dealt with.

"Put the female one down and herd those two out," the masked bot commands in a voice that sounds like the death screams of hundreds of Autotroopers. "If they're too slow carry them out. We're already late. I have this one."

The masked bot comes around and puts a surprisingly gentle hand on Jetfire's shoulder as he half supports, half drags Jetfire from the room. The hand might seem familiar to you, Jetfire.

[random_xtras]

Jetfire watches his friends herded from the cell, his optics darkening at the sound of the greedo's voice. But then the other bot touches him and lifts him to take him out, and Jetfire nearly blows his cover as he struggles not to give the mech a shocked look. Instead, as he stumbles along dizzily beside the bounty hunter, he recalls the frequency of a private, highly encrypted channel that he hasn't used in over a hundred years. //What the heck, Smokie?//

Kia's got Random's arm, meanwhile, and looks like she's hiding as she's herded down that long corridor and into the hold of a sand yacht, but really she's comforting her mentor, and unknowingly sharing Primus's comfort with him.

[astrotechmech]

//Partoftheplan. Shh!// The masked bot's face remains surprisingly impassive as it appears the bot gets impatient with the other mech's stumbles and drags him a bit more forcibly.

Random, meanwhile, is quite relieved that he and Kia weren't carried off again. He's reassured by the peace he feels coming from Kia, even as he watches to make sure the droids don't change their mind and start carrying them.

[random_xtras]

Kia walks into the cell in the hold of the sand ship, then turns around and looks up at the droid questioningly, both brows lifted as it looks back down at her. Then she wiggles her fingers down by her leg, and the drone lifts one pincer and baps her very gently on the head before it turns and walks out of the cell. Kia glances toward the viewing camera, then looks over toward where Jetfire just faceplanted dramatically after appearing to trip over the frame of the door on his way in.