ANH. Imperial Shuttle near Imperial Blockade. Out of the frying pan . . .

[astrotechmech]

Random paces up and down the small "corridor" behind the pilots' chairs. It isn't enough that they're using probably very-much-illegally-bought Imperial codes to sneak past the Imperial blockade led by Nemesis Prime's imposing vessel and onto the forested moon holding the shield generator for Unicron's two bodies using Random's ship-clearing formula. But they're also doing it in a ship that he's fixed before while in Imperial service. Not the one he used to get his formula written, but it was still unnerving to be in a ship whose weak points you're all too familiar with.

Especially if you know where the Imperials need to hit in order to instantly blow it up.

All he needs to complete this nightmare is for his old Imperial CO to pop out of one of the shuttle's compartments.

Comments

[random_xtras]

"Thank you, control, following vector," says Jetfire calmly, then turns off the radio and lifts his voice slightly. "Comettor, I swear, if you put that slip film in fronta Randy I'll silver tape yer pointy little aft ta the wall in Arcee's way."

The red Minicon gives a startled beep and scoots to the accompaniment of laughter from the other Minicons.

"What? Suddenly I'm something to use in threats?" Arcee looks up from her datapad with a frown.

[astrotechmech]

Random stops short. Wait, did control actually let them through? He then starts at the flash of red, systems running hard, until he realizes that Comettor hadn't succeeded in trying to literally trip him up.

Maybe he should go sit down again--and see if he can stay there. Random cautiously rejoins Kia and sits in one of the cockpit's passenger chairs.

[random_xtras]

"I think the trees are pretty," says Kia some minutes later. "No, Murphy, they're not going to eat you. There aren't any mineralavourous tree species on Endor." She frowns at his reply, then shakes her head. "You got into the buzz powder, didn't you?"

Jetfire shakes his head from the other side of Random. "Whole fraggin' universe could be endin', 'n there'd still be at least one Minicon havin' a party. Hey what? Where the scrap did you three come from? Does Smokie know where ya are?"

Arcee looks over from waving at Hot Shot, then face palms.

[astrotechmech]

Random is very glad that the trees here can't eat him, and that there haven't been any predators out to bother them. At least not yet.

Okay, the shuttle's cloaked, and he's got the location mentally marked so that they can find it again. Now, the next step is to--

Random starts and turns to see what Jetfire is looking at . . . The, uh, what was their official name? The Race Team? Anyway, the set of three Minicons who form the shield that he's seen Smokescreen carrying. He doesn't remember Smokescreen saying that he was going to have the Shield Minicons coming with them. Why are they here?

[Smokescreen sent us,] says the ringleader of the Race Team as he walks up to Jetfire and holds up a datachip.

[We would have revealed ourselves earlier, but the astrotech already seemed antsier than Liftor on one of his worst days.] One of the other Shield Minicons pointed a thumb in Random's direction.

[random_xtras]

"There's no reason for you to stick your foot between those panels." Arcee absently bops a small skidplate as she winces while straightening up. "Move it."

[She hits them the same way she hits Smokie and Jets.] Rollbar sits up with a cavernous yawn and looks in the direction of the Troopers. [Alright, better keep it down. They'd be able to hear us now.]

Jetfire nods as he uses one hand to help the offending Race Team member get past that trouble spot on Arcee. "Right. So what's the plan, Stan?"

"I'll distract them," says Arcee, ignoring Jetfire's glance of protective protest.

"Swing around that way." Kia points. "Then do this at them."

"Woah!" Jetfire nearly chokes on his attempt not to yell with shock as his optics flash. "Random, what're you teachin' that kid!??"

[astrotechmech]

Random had facepalmed at the gesture, but now he looks up from his facepalm to shoot Jetfire a glare. "Wasn't me--and it wasn't Sneaker. She's heard and seen worst with you lot."

[random_xtras]

"Don't lick them either, okay?" Kia gently boots her faithful minion. "They don't like it."

"Hmmmm." Murphy holds up the large, shiny insect thoughtfully, then pitches it aside as he spots something more appealing.

"Don't lick that either." Kia sniffs her new flower and looks around for another.

"Boss, only a nut or a mama tusk cat would lick this." The little black Minicon turns to display a lanky, blinking cub as big as he was.

"Mama..." Jetfire turns his head and blinks himself, then looks around. "Where's his parents? They wouldn't just leave the little guy, but I don't see any trace. Here, gimme." He hunkers down and takes the tiny thing, then holds it absently to his chest plate as it gums hopefully on his thumb.

Kia just gives the fuzzy a little grin, then looks at Random as though sharing a joke before offering him the third flower.

[astrotechmech]

Random still doesn't want to know what Murphy is doing.

Unfortunately, he probably does have to pay attention to what Jetfire is doing.

"Uh, aren't you supposed to leave 'em be?" At least Random thinks he's heard something to that effect for at least one kind of animal. He doesn't really get out of space ports and ships much, okay? "So that the the parents either don't abandon it or view you as a threat?"

Random sees what Kia is offering him and accepts it. Yep, this is a thing that's happening. He shakes his head.

[random_xtras]

"Oh, very well." She reaches for the flowers already in his hand, her expression happy and slightly excited.

"Really? Huh..." Jetfire gives the little silver lady a look of absent nonplussedness, then lifts his free arm and looks for Comettor, who... seems to have fallen asleep. "Really?"

[astrotechmech]

And she "heard" that again. If Random were organic he'd be blushing as he hands over the flowers. Goodbye, flowers. You were pretty.

Random shifts a bit in embarrassment before taking a look around them . . . and then up at the trees. Too many places for Minicons to hide here.

[random_xtras]

"How does that make 'em pets?" Jetfire meeps as Comettor wakes up and shinnies down his leg.

"Hey, at least we're not calling them smart tools," notes Iceberg dryly.

"They're part of the family, but they're just kids." Dune Runner falls on his bum while pulling the tarp out, then scrambles up and pulls some more, ignoring the laughter aimed his way.

[astrotechmech]

Okay, so it is some kind of Minicon joke. Just at the expense of poor wiped bots who don't know what they're getting into as opposed to the Minicons being deliberately mean to them. Maybe.

Random pulls out more of the tarp before pausing to study it. How will it fit?

[random_xtras]

The flowers wave gently in the air currents for a moment, and then the stirring increases as the natural mechanisms built into the stems react to the electricity and warmth of the camera and trigger a rapid growth spurt that has curling tendrils gripping the camera and pressing the blossoms to the moist lens. Secured, the flowers then release tiny pressure caps and coat the entire lens with sticky pollen.

And then the flowers sit there and concentrate on drinking water through their leaves and waiting for some small beetlebug to walk on their petals and then on the lens so that pollen may be exchanged.

[astrotechmech]

Random feels an enormous sense of relief once the flowers take hold of the camera. He's very glad he wasn't wrong about them. The flowers really did grow fast.

He waits a moment to make sure the flowers have settled before he carefully lets them go.

Yep, they're not going anywhere.

Random decides that he's not going to risk looking directly in the camera despite the apparent success and returns to the Minicon. "Like that."

[random_xtras]

Kia calls over her shoulder, laughing gently and with sympathy. "Softheart crashed."

Then she turns back as she reaches her mentor and smiles up at him.

And Softheart's sad sounds have turned to happy ones, and he is cheekrubbing on Random in thanks.

"...Some wipeout," says Jetfire in the background from where he's hunkered down to gab while still keeping an eye on their surroundings.

"Yeah," says Rollerball from behind Random. "He usually doesn't go all the way over like that."

[astrotechmech]

Random smiles back at her. He's glad she's safe. And happy.

He looks down when something on his leg causes him to start. Oh, the young tooth cat. Softheart, was it? He guesses he can see how the name applies.

Random doesn't have much time to think more on this line when a new voice comes from the forest behind him.

"There you are," a red and blue Minicon says, approaching Rollerball. "I've been looking all over for you. Don't you know that it's not safe to be out right now with the"--the Minicon finally notices Random and Jetfire and switches to Minicon as he breaks off--[Imps.]

[random_xtras]

"Nah." The green and grey Minicon laughs as he follows the others. "It's easier to have you carry it."

Typical Minicon sass. Kia pokes her head out and gives it the reply it deserves. "Thrrrpt!"

Which has Jetfire laughing as he pats Random on the shoulder in passing.

[astrotechmech]

"Oh." Random frowns, briefly wondering if he should be insulted or not--when Kia makes the decision for him. "Ack, Kia!"

He then starts at the sudden pat on the shoulder.

[random_xtras]

"I said that to Makeshift when Primus told me about it, and he said girls usually do act older than guys the same age as them. Arcee acts older than Jetfire too." Kia goes to the table and peers into a bowl.

Still not a snort from the hammock. Just so much snoring!

[astrotechmech]

Random frowns. Yeah, that . . . makes sense. It's been a while since he thought about the relative maturity of mechs and femmes--especially when they're young. He hasn't really spent a lot of time around femmes, and there haven't been a lot of truly young bots other than Kia around for a loooooong time. Not since around the time that Random was young, and there weren't many young bots by the time that it sounds like Hot Shot was sparked. And there's things you miss when you're young.

All of that did not help Random feel confident about taking Kia on when he first found her.

But Arcee and Hot Shot? Random strains to remember what he remembers Scavenger saying about Hot Shot. Assembly line bot? . . . But--Wait, no, Hot Shot got asked for by someone in addition to that. Someone Scavenger knew. . . . Ugh, this is still hurting his processor.

Random looks over to Rollbar. "Stop pretending you're not listening."

[random_xtras]

"Nobody was here except the Silver Lining and the guy who needs hugs," says High Wire, turning in the hammock so that Rollbar becomes a back rest and then tilting his head as two other Minicons enter. "Sureshock, Grindor, come sit up here, there's lots of room. Gears, do you want to join us, since you're the unofficial leader for the Bespin bots?"

"So you're the guy in charge?" Jetfire peers at the slender little bot, hand still protecting his dent.

"We are. Though we aren't all guys." High Wire's flat little Minicon voice holds some amusement.

"Er, sorry." The shuttle bot rubs the back of his head, then looks over toward the table.

"Go find something better to stick in your fuel intake than your foot," Arcee tells him, smacking his skidplate to get him to move. Then she turns toward the Minicons.

[astrotechmech]

Speaking of the guy who needs hugs, Random decides that the area near the door is getting kind of crowded and moves himself and Kia closer to one of the berths. He'll then resume hugging her.

Gears frowns a moment and then shrugs, moving out of the way of the newcomers and noticing that the cat he thought he'd told to stay outside has followed him in. ". . . Better not. Softheart tends to get his claws tangled in the hammock fabric."

And a bit of fuel might have just hit Jetfire in the--okay, not the face. That's too high, okay?

[random_xtras]

"They're going to be kind of distracted," say Arcee, swinging her hammock lightly and smirking toward Mirage. Then she outlines the plan, including the parts that Smokescreen and Hot Shot are now doing.

High Wire makes a sound like a frown, then turns his head to look at first Mirage and then Gears. "I think your friend would have been better off coming here."

"You're just over protective of Bulks," opines Ransack from where he just stuck his head in around the doorpost. The baby toothcat cub is cuddled in his arms, eyes closed and mouth busy on the spout attached to a bag of milk.

[astrotechmech]

[Probably,] Mirage beeps, agreeing with High Wire. [But he'd made up his mind.]

"What do you think the odds are that he lands up in the first barfight that happens once everything blows over?" Gears asks, distractedly. "He's got to be driving everybody crazy up there with the wait."

[Considering he's been doing subtle, sneaky stuff since the Dark Prime showed up on Bespin . . . ?]

Gears winces.

[random_xtras]

Kia reaches up to pat Random on the arm, then nods as they hear more static and screaming behind them. "Okay. There's still danger, but he thinks there's time to get to the door." Her eyes go up to those of her mentor, offering reassurance and trust.

"Are you ready, Random?" asks Arcee gently, absently booting the Minicon out from under Random's cloak again.

[astrotechmech]

Random turns away from the noises growing louder behind them and focuses on Kia, becoming distracted when he once again recognizes how much she's grown since their first adventure. The trust has always been there--even when he hasn't felt like he's deserved it--and the reassurance still feels relatively new to him, but in an odd way, welcome.

Random is pulled out of his musings by Arcee and the booting of the Minicon, which startles him again. Would it not--?!

He then remembers what Arcee asked him and stares at the doorway of the backdoor. His cape isn't going to provide him much cover there. Sigh. Best get it over with. He nods and puts a protective arm around Kia, ready to help her to the door.

[random_xtras]

She stops as Link gently keeps him from sitting and pulls his cloak around him, going back to her knees beside him. "Yes, Random?"

[astrotechmech]

Random hadn't expected her to actually stop and come back. He stares at her for a moment before the shifting of the cloak distracts him enough bring his attention back to the matter at hand.

"Where--?"

[random_xtras]

"Easy." Link helps him sit, and then holds him, face scrunched with discomfort. "Please, take it easy. I don't want mystery urk appearing out of nowhere."

"Ewww," says Kia softly as she kneels by her mentor and gently touches his forehead with one slender hand.

"Yup," agrees Link wanly.

Some of the Minicons, meanwhile, stop dancing like kremzeeks and start moving to round the Autotroopers up and herd them away.

[astrotechmech]

Random intakes carefully, trying to urge the nausea and the dizziness of being upright away. He's also trying to calm himself down after the excitement of the realization of the danger around them. The latter will probably be helped after the Autotroopers are finally out of the immediate area.

Kia's hand feels cold to him, but comforting.

Then something finally clicks about the way Link is speaking, and Random tilts his head in confusion.