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

[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]

"'The astrotech' has a name, Dirt Boss," says Jetfire dryly as he leans down to snatch the datachip from Mirage. "You three realize there ain't any race tracks around here, right?"

"How're we going to sneak up on anything with Dirt Boss's stink all around?" wonders Arazor from Jetfire's wing. Comettor just looks up at her humorously from where he's hanging off Jetfire's back.

[astrotechmech]

Downshift, the heretofore remaining unnamed Shield Minicon, whacks Dirt Boss on the head before he can make too bad of a sarcastic remark back.

Dirt Boss turns and glares at Downshift for a moment before turning back, seeming a bit apologetic. If not to Random or Jetfire, then to Downshift. [Right, sorry.]

Mirage waves vaguely at the data chip. [It's explained in the note.]

[If you can read it,] Dirt Boss interjects. [He was more in a rush than usual.]

Downshift shakes his head at Dirt Boss.

[random_xtras]

Jetfire snorts at them, then checks the chip for grunge before pulling a little doohickey off his arm with a rip of silver tape. "What the... oh har har, you scrapheaps."

To the chorus of Minicon mirth, he sticks the chip into his device, and then frowns at the holographic screen that pops up. Arcee crowds over beside him to look at it too.

And Kia is pouting at Dirt Boss for being Dirt Boss.

[astrotechmech]

Well, to Dirt Boss's credit, the note is a bit hard to read. Even for a Smokescreen note. It's like the mech couldn't decide between shorthand or coded message and did an odd combination of both.

And then kept doing it wrong.

Anyway, if one were to take the time to decipher it all, it'd sound something like this:

"Captain Collateral Damage,

"The more I think about it, the more I wish I'd waited a few more minutes and had come with you instead. You know how I've always felt more comfortable in a bar brawl than in a dogfight. And the likelihood of entering a bar brawl while completing this mission on the Falcon isn't very high.

"And that got me thinking, the Shield Minicons might be safe enough with me, but they won't be much help. I don't think that Scavenger just wanted me to hide them away. Not if they're willing to help.

"So, I've sent them along with you. A bit like collateral. Since I've borrowing the Falcon.

"Signed,
Smokescreen

"P.S. Hopefully they won't give ya too much grief. They usually behave themselves around Liftor, so maybe they'll be the same around Random.

"Just do me a favor, okay? DON'T LOSE THEM."

[random_xtras]

Jetfire mutters to himself and turns his datapad upside down, then turns it over and looks at the note from the back. After repeating this maneuver a few times to further Minicon mirth, he looks up. "Yeah. Smokie sent 'em. Says they should be some help."

"Because we really needed more small people to keep track of." Arcee sighs as Rollbar starts snoring.

Jetfire snerks softly, then looks down and startles when he sees the Race Team standing and looking up at him expectantly. "...Yer up ta somethin', aren'tcha?"

Kia glances over from where she's just picked Rollbar up and shaken him, her brow plates lifting with quizzical curiosity.

[astrotechmech]

Random had frowned thoughtfully when Jetfire had corrected Dirt Boss, but his reflection on how Jetfire's started to be nicer around him lately is cut short by the length of time they're spending just out in the open having this conversation.

[Just plotting whose back to piggyback off of,] Mirage says in Minicon as he has the whole time. The other two nod enthusiastically.

[Then we wouldn't need to be kept track of,] Dirt Boss remarks. More nodding.

"Uh, shouldn't we be going?" Random shifts nervously. "This doesn't seem to be the best place to get caught out if there's anyone nearby."

[Oh. You guys know there's a couple of Autotroopers over the next hill?] Dirt Boss beeps casually.

[random_xtras]

Jetfire's head snaps around to scowl in the direction of that hill, then looks toward Kia.

"They're fueling." She grunts and puts Rollbar back down, then boots him very gently a few times. "Or doing something that makes them happy and frustrated like that."

"...Yeah, that's about how ya feel about those ration blocks." Jetfire shrugs one wing absently.

[astrotechmech]

Ah, yeah, those ration blocks. He doesn't miss them from the time they were stuck with them on the 'Falcon.

However, there are other things they should be worried about. Like where those Autotroopers happen to be, which is right on the direct path to the station. "Are we going to have to go around?"

And there's something else . . .

"Wait, where'd Hot Shot go?"

The three Shield Minicons, standing at the feet of Jetfire, turn from where they were plotting to get up onto the flier's back, frown in such a way as to question Random's intelligence, and point in a singular direction.

[random_xtras]

"He went to check on something." Arcee makes a frustrated sound as Airazor gives the Race Team a death glare and Comettor offers to kick the first climber's face, then steps over to catch the nearest one by the arm and give him a little shake. "I'm not carrying anyone, as I know you've noticed. We don't have time to deal with collateral damage from you starting a fight and alerting those troopers with your noise."

[astrotechmech]

"Oh, okay." Random frowns and wonders if that was something he was supposed to have known, considering the reaction he got from the Minicons.

Downshift's face makes a @ _@ as Arcee shakes him, even though her shake wasn't that hard. The expression is followed by a chorus of beeping laughter.

[Is . . . that an invitation?] Dirt Boss beeps hopefully.

Random wonders how they haven't heard them already since the Autotroopers are right there. He doesn't like this.

[random_xtras]

Kia puts a gentle hand on Random's side as Arcee grumbles at the Race Team and points to her back.

"Don't worry," says the little silver lady softly. "They don't hear us yet."

[astrotechmech]

Random looks down at Kia, and then sighs softly as she speaks to him, willing himself to relax. She's probably right. They'd probably know if the Imperials had heard them.

He puts an arm around her in a hug and ignores the Race Team as they quietly pump their fists, broadcast large grins, jump down from Jetfire, and then carefully climb onto Arcee's back.