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]

"This bounty hunter is my kind of scum. Fearless and inventive." Jabba had said. Ugh. This is why Random didn't want anything to do with this place. Gangsters had their own rules.

He stops noticing the maniacal laughter of a familiar bot when he and Kia are grabbed. Again.

He struggles in the green thug's grip and almost forgets that he's not supposed to be able to use his tools right now.

That's why it currently looks like he's got holes in his hands after all!

"Get your slimey hands off of her!" he shouts, still struggling because he knows he can't get free anyway.

And off to the side, a masked bot with a droned looking Minicon on his shoulder and coverings made from dead Imperial Autotrooper bits watches as they're dragged off to the dungeons . . .

[random_xtras]

The guards are big and smelly, and there are giant lice walking around on them. They laugh at Kia and Random's struggles and shake them viciously, speaking in a strange language that Kia hasn't got in her memory tracks. Other people are laughing too, and their jeers follow the guards and captives out of the throne room. The corridor that leads to the cells is quieter, to an extent. But the sounds that can be heard are worse, because they are misery, despair, and suffering.

Kia's sobbing static by the time she and Random are thrown into a dark and smelly place that seems like a wetter and colder version of the sand crawler that they'd been shoved into when Alpha Q had caught them during their first trip to Tatooine. She lands hard on her hands and knees, then instinctively scoots toward the darkness under the bench on the back wall. Something hits her hard as she reaches the darkness, and then she shrieks with surprise as that something moves!

[astrotechmech]

Now he sorta regrets struggling so much but once he starts he finds it hard to stop, especially once he realizes they're doing the same to Kia.

"Stop it! Stop! Stop!" he finds himself yelling to no avail, even as he has to mentally bite down the disgust at realizing the organic guards have parasite organics on them.

Hitting the floor jars him and it takes him far too long to realize that Kia's in distress. And a lot of it.

"Kia?" he says a bit weakly as he moves to his own hands and knees. Wugh. What a horrible smell. This place was almost as bad as that slaver ship. He sees his holey hands and starts.

He's still recovering from the stench and shock at seeing his hands when his processor realizes there's something in here with them. "Kia!"

[random_xtras]

The guards kick Random a couple times for good measure, then slam the door and bolt it before tromping away still laughing. Soon only the sounds of misery remain.

[Shhhh,] says a familiar voice very quietly, as Kia's sobbing loses some volume and urgency. [Are they gone? I can't see past] "Kia."

"I'm right here," Kia says at the same time, nearly drowning out the voice. "But I'm stuck!"

[astrotechmech]

Random's knocked around by the kicks before he can do much more than he did.

"Umph!" he grunts as one of the last kicks sends him toward the wall by Kia's hiding place. As if the drop wasn't enough, the kick lands up stunning him too and he once again reacts way too slowly to Kia's distress.

He was not used to taking physical beat downs, but at least his hands weren't handcuffed this time around.

Random is panting as he rolls over onto his stomach and then drags himself the rest of the way to Kia's location.

Sorry, Minicon, but he's sorta ignoring you.

[random_xtras]

"Random?" the fright level in Kia's voice amps up again as he crawls toward her. "Are you there?" Small feet kick in a futile attempt to get out from under the bench.

"Easy," says Airazor. "Let me help you out of here, and then we can look for Random."

"Air... Airazor? What are you doing here?" The kicking stops.

"Things your mentor would probably stomp me for talking about. Hrrrrrrnnnn!"

[astrotechmech]

Random puts an arm in front of him to block Kia's kicks and . . . finds that blocking them makes it harder to get closer to her since he has one less arm to move him closer.

"I-I'm here, Kia." But man, did he feel a lot of pain right now.

[random_xtras]

Kia gasps and squeaks as she feels herself pop out from under the bench and her feet thump into someone. She turns quickly, scooting back and curling up, but then spots her mentor and changes direction so fast that she falls over.

Airazor, meanwhile crawls out from under the bench herself, then stands and walks in sideways circles for a bit as she tries to recover from being crushed into the wall by frantic youngster.

[astrotechmech]

Random doesn't think. He reaches and grabs Kia, pulling her into a laying hug beside him. "Shh, Kia. I got ya. I got ya."

[random_xtras]

She snuggles, carefully because she can see he's hurting. Her small body is shaking as she tucks her head under his chin. "Are you okay?"

"Whoops." A soft clink announces Airazor's gentle collision with Random's back. "Oh, there you are. Just let me get this sparkle static out of my optics."

Kia tenses as she whispers, "Oh no! Did I hurt Airazor, too?"

[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.

[random_xtras]

Airazor makes a little sigh of relief as her scan tells her that Random will be alright. One small hand gently smooths his back as high as she can reach, her soothing circles accompanied by soft crooning as she snuggles close and warms up that big dent on his back. "Get some sleep, Random. I've got your back."

Several Hours Later

[astrotechmech]

The warmth at his back had been such a big comfort to him while he slept there on the wet floor with Kia that he wakes up blearily when a crash of feet outside their door causes the Minicon that had been providing the comfort to scoot.

He then starts completely awake when their door opens and he shifts his hug into a protective hold on Kia and tries to into a better position to deal with threats.

And lands up hurting a bit. Ow.

[random_xtras]

"Get your stinkin' hands off me! Get your... LEGGO! ARCEE! Hey! You...!" are the nicer things that are being shouted. The rest of the Basic is stuff that even Random might not have known. The guards are shouting too. No laughing now. And then comes the sound of tank purge and the panicked squealing of the guards.

Kia's awake, her big eyes turned toward the door with concern. "That's what we're here for. To take care of Jetfire."

[astrotechmech]

Random frowns when he hears Jetfire call out Arcee's name without seeing any sign of her. This doesn't seem like it's part of the plan, and he isn't sure what sort of tiding it's supposed to be.

And then with Jetfire's continued use of cussing, Random decides he needs to tell the mech off even though the guards are still there.

"Not in front of Kia, Jetfire!"

And there went the bot's tank. He absently nods to Kia's comments, already bringing up the files he was given on carbonite sickness in the event they ran into Jetfire before the others did.

He had hoped he wouldn't have to be the one to treat him.

[random_xtras]

The shout in the familiar voice stops Jetfire so short with shock that he loses hold of the dizziness and makes a lasting mark on some of the guards. Thankfully, he misses himself, so when he stumbles into the cell under his own volition he doesn't bring in any new and worse stenches.

"Randy?" One hand gropes in the air as the cell door slams behind him. "Where are ya? I can't see."

Kia looks up at Random, and then wriggles free of his arms so that he can go help the ailing shuttle bot.

[astrotechmech]

He hesitates a moment after Kia wiggles out of his grasp and carefully gets to his feet. He then waits another moment before slowly walking towards the blinded mech, not sure that he wants to be near him if he purges again or falls over.

Yes, he's an astrotech and stronger than he might look, but Jetfire's a lot bigger than him.

He also gives the other bot a scan, looking for the things he was supposed to watch out for.

"Here."

[random_xtras]

That scan could get a little scrambled, because Jetfire is in such a state of mind right now that as soon as he feels Random with his hand the smaller mech will be getting a frantic bear hug. He's shaking all over and shouldn't be on his feet, but he's got a friend. He cares not that the friend doesn't like him, just being a familiar voice in the middle of a dark nightmare is enough.

[astrotechmech]

"Whoa! Gkk!" Random tenses, winces, struggles, and winces again when the bigger flier bot suddenly picks him up and the hug and his own struggling hits a couple of spots that are still sore on him.

Eventually he realizes that he's not getting out of this mech's grasp and just intakes to try to calm down.