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]

"Easy, Randy." The shuttle bot stops to look down at the cloaked astrotech with concern. "You gonna be alright?"

"Let's go, let's go!" Kia interrupts softly as she scoots out from under the tarp. Then she catches Random's hand in her free one and tugs him gently toward the others, making a little comforting trill as she does.

One travel montage later . . .

[astrotechmech]

Random looks back at Jetfire a little blankly, but he doesn't have time to reply as Kia reveals herself and starts to drag him off.

And on they go, down the path Random just came from a few minutes ago, through the bush tunnel, and onward to base of the set of massive trees that hold the Minicon village.

It's at this base that Random has to say goodbye to the cloak that has made him feel safer on this forested moon and fold it away. There's apparently a shaft to climb up to the village in one of these equally massive, camouflaged pylons, but since he and Jetfire can fly everyone else up, it's easier just to transform.

Flying among the trees, even briefly, to get up to the village feels a bit claustrophobic to him but not as much as it would to try to fly up the pylon--not that he's sure there's room enough.

And here they are. In the "Bulk" section--Jetfire apparently won't fit in the main part of the village. Random feels nervous about the prospect of running into the Autotroopers, even if they are wiped and childlike. He tries not to think about this too hard as they're led to one of the houses.

It seems like there's plenty of Minicons around here, too, though, and up to their usual antics. Including tying up one of their own to a spit and spinning them over a fire--Wait, is that Dirt Boss?

[random_xtras]

"Ohhhh. This part of the village isn't on the trees. Did you think the bigger bots' weight would break the trees?" Kia is looking around excitedly.

"No. We couldn't find anything strong enough to tie stuff onto the trees with." Rollerball pauses and looks back and up at Jetfire as that worthy mech stops short.

Jetfire also blinks, flashes his optics with surprise, and goes, "What the scrap, Dirt Boss, you tryin' ta give Smokie spark failure???"

[astrotechmech]

[Oh. There you are,] Dirt Boss says, unheeding of the dressing down Jetfire just gave him. [Took you long enough.]

And Random is facepalming. Minicons.

[random_xtras]

"Seriously." Kia goes over and hunkers down. "What are you doing on that, Dirt Boss? And where are "Arcee, Downshift, and Mirage?"

"Did you just alphabetize those guys?" Rollerball looks back from explaining his flower to someone who just walked up.

Kia waves him off with her free hand, then rests her chin on Murphy's head.

[astrotechmech]

[Drying the formula to make me shiiiny,] Dirt Boss explains, curtly. [You wouldn't understand.]

Yep, Random thinks, this is a prank.

[random_xtras]

"What formula? All I can see on you besides squished caterpillar and the mud you sat in is fruit juice that's going to get itchy and sticky." Kia snorts softly, then stands and follows the now guffawing Jetfire as he resumes the trip to the house, her free hand going up to Random.

"Do I want to know what's going on out here?" Arcee pokes her head out of the house in question, her form softly decorated with vines, flowers, and leaves.

"Princess!" Jetfire lights up and offers hugs, then thinks twice of it and puts his arms down.

Arcee gives him a funny look from where she's already halfway to him to get those hugs, then finishes the journey and demandingly pulls his arm around her.

[astrotechmech]

Random accepts Kia's hand and follows, briefly glancing back as the Shield Minicon cries out and starts to grumble.

Random frowns a bit when he sees what Arcee is covered in. Looks like the Minicons have been dressing her.

. . . And Arcee and Jetfire are on hugging terms? Maybe?

[random_xtras]

"Wait, but..."

"What is your problem? Hug me now or suffer."

"But... OW!"

"Random, go on ahead with Kia and the others. Idiot and I have to have a little talk."

[astrotechmech]

Sorta on hugging terms. Random's not sure what to think of this, having been other places or distracted when Jetfire and Arcee have had most of their recent interactions.

And Arcee noticed that he and Kia are still here.

Random nods, though she's gone back to paying attention to Jetfire, and leads Kia to the house she just left. Inside, there's not much there. Some soft berths, some hammocks--looks like Rollbar has claimed one already--oh, and some fuel on a table. The fuel seems cheap without being surge-y--that's good.

Random steps inside and away from the door before looking down at Kia, wondering what they should do. Are they going to have to wait long for . . . whatever to happen?

[random_xtras]

Kia looks back. "Jetfire thinks Arcee likes Hot Shot. But Hot Shot is her brother."

This statement gets a snort from Rollbar. Or it might have, he just started snoring.

[astrotechmech]

Random's optics widen and blink in surprise. "Her . . . "

He then frowns as he takes the information in. But, she--right, just because someone has a mentor, doesn't mean that that person is the person who asked for them at Vector Sigma. Random should know that with what he'd thought about Kia for so long.

"She seems . . . older," Random says, feeling like his words are failing as much as his processor.