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

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a new hope

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

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.

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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.

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.

Kia accepts his guidance, giving his hand one of the little pat pats that she's done since she was new, then glances back as Jetfire does a quick transform and back to get Comettor unstuck from between his shoulder and wing, this done, the shuttle bot falls into step with Panda as they guard the rear of the party.

"Finally. Why didn't you let me go last night, instead of sleeping on me?" complains the red Minicon softly.

"You never asked." The smirk is very apparent in Jetfire's quiet reply.

Kia huffs a little and looks toward the entrance.

Random protectively keeps her close as they cross the open clearing to the door, hurrying them as he hears whatever is back there getting louder. It's only once they reach the entranceway that he lets himself relax, just a smidge.

Until he remembers what might be in there. Ugh.

Well, there's nothing for that.

Random looks around to check that the others have made it, noticing as he does so that the Shield Minicons have formed up into shield mode in Arcee's hand, before trying the door.

No movement.

Well, not everything can be so easy.

"Freeway, what the scrap is your problem?" Arcee's voice holds quiet ire as she accidentally boots the Minicon who likes Random's cloak. "If you're going to act like an Imperial saboteur I'm going to squash your manky aft like a bug."

[I'm not an Imp!] comes the groggy, slightly garbled response. [I'm getting over having a roofie slipped in my drink last night!]

"... Jetfire, take this and put it in your pocket."

"You got it, Princess."

. . . Minicons. Random's just glad that the bot wasn't back under his cape again. But he can understand why the Minicon was acting weird. This time anyway. Doctored fuel can mess with a bot.

Random shakes his head and turns to the lock. He is going to have to plug in for this one. It was bad enough in Cloud City when he had no idea what to expect, but here? With an Imperial lock, and scary stuff on the way.

Oh, yeah, the scary stuff. Random looks in the direction of the the noises and sees one of the smaller walkers. AT-ST.

Oh, why did he look?

Random gives Kia a brief hug before guiding her to the corner. Then he kneels down and brings out the tool that lets him plug into the computer.

"Cover me. This might take a bit."

Kia watches Random start working, then looks up past him as Panda growls.

"Shooting start!" rumbles the young bot, reaching for his gun.

"I hear it, kid. Hold yer position," says Jetfire tensely as he watches shots tear down foliage at the edge of the clearing.

No AI this time. And it's a different kind of lock than the one in Cloud City. This is going to be be a lot more mentally involved.

But hauntingly familiar. Very little has changed since he last worked on locks like these regularly. Back then, it was to make sure they were programmed to shut properly upon command. Now, it's to force them open.

Blast doors. Main doors. Magnetic seals. Release the magnetic seals on the blast doors. There we are. Random's trying not to think about why the old access codes still work.

Jetfire steps so he's shielding the astrotechs better, then starts and looks over his shoulder as Kia speaks up.

"Don't worry, Random. Everything's going to be okay."

And Primus moves, touching Random's senses with the warm, comforting feel of a heavy blanket.

Random distractedly pauses in his work. Kia's speaking to him? In this particular mode, he isn't very aware of his surroundings, which have become part of a distant background in this digital world.

So when the feeling of a warm blanket comes in, and in a way that feels real, he stops what he's doing entirely.

Memories of other times he's felt . . . Primus? That's odd. Doesn't he usually come with the smell of a Sunrise?

Random doesn't have much time to reflect or correct himself on this when it happens.

Well, in some ways, nothing changes. The real world is still a background, but parts of it are a lot more active then they were.

The first thing he notices is a low throb on the right side of his body--the part that had been exposed to the battle other than Jetfire's cover--and then a plethora of readouts that suddenly fill the "screen" in the background of the program he's using to interact with the Imperial lock. And then he faintly hears the scream of some dying animal, even as the throb spreads throughout his conscious body and more readouts and warnings pop up in his usual display.

Burning? Yes, a lot of the readouts are complaining about systems running extraordinarily hot. And of circuits that are no longer working.

The screaming animal continues in the background, even as he realizes that something looks off about the program he's supposed to be using for the lock. There's static creeping along the edges?

And then it's just gone as he feels something push hard against his shoulder, and then a lot of something faintly hard against the length of his back.

Empty. The program's gone. The screaming is gone.

The readouts are not. They still clamor for attention, much like the hollower sounds surrounding him, but . . . they're wrong. They shouldn't look like that. Not when he's . . .

No, he hadn't properly disconnected from the computer. He's stuck.

And then a voice.

Link puts a gentle hand on Random's shoulder. "Easy. I've got you. It's going to be alright."

There it is again. A clear, real feeling when he's not supposed to be able to . . . Well, when he currently can't, really. Other than . . . Primus again.

Random has a vague feeling of hot, gritty air leaving his real intakes. That . . . doesn't seem right either, but it's not as immediate as being able to feel Primus' hand on his shoulder . . . somehow.

-I . . don't understand-

Arcee is blocking shots with the Skyboom shield when the screaming starts. She grits her teeth and focuses on the task at hand as Panda curses like a drunken Minicon, but then startles and looks over her shoulder as she hears a second, unexpected voice raised up in a scream of protest.

"Jetfire, you didn't disconnect him properly!" shrieks Kia, her usually gentle voice cracking with the strain. "You may have just killed him!"

"What? I haveta protect him!" cries the shuttle bot, his voice slightly slurred.

Arcee's eyes widen, and she looks at what Jetfire is crouched over protectively, her tank lurching as she sees Random laying down there with smoke pouring out of his intakes. "Oh... Starsinger, help!"

Kia crawls behind Jetfire and looks up at the bot who is kneeling beside her mentor. "Can he hear me?"

"I'll help him," promises Link, his eyes steady.

-Why do you seem so real?- Random asks.

"Because I'm speaking right to your spark." Link winces slightly. "Hold on. We've got to get your mind straightened out."

-. . . Oh- That should make sense. And being reminded of what's currently wrong with his processor makes him want to squirm. -C-can it?-

Link nods, once more emoting that warm blanket comfort. "Here's Kia. She's going to talk to you like I am, alright?"

That . . . blanket feels good right now. . . . Kia? He can talk to Kia? Random nods.

And there she is, a bright, sharp, clear presence looking down at him with anxious tears staining her faceplates even as she exudes confidence that everything is going to be alright. "I'm here, Random. Oh..." Her voice catches. "I'm sorry you're hurt."

-Kia!- Random reaches a hand out for her, longing to feel her as solidly as he is Link. He pauses as she does, confused at the tone of her words. -But it's not your fault-

She makes a little choked chuckle, emoting the feeling of a forehead touch. "It's because I love you, silly. You're my mentor." Gentle slender fingers squeeze his hand and linger for a moment. "We need to get your files straightened out."

Random squeezes her hand back and isn't sure how to respond.

"This might tickle." Link's face takes on a look of concentration. "But don't worry, not only did I build the systems, but a medic's made sure I know what I'm doing."

Random blinks. -. . . What?- He'd . . . forgotten that Link was there.

"That's alright. Just concentrate on Kia. Murphy, step back so I can hear him better." Link nudges at something with his free hand, causing mews of protest.

"Murphy, stand here, please." Kia gestures with her head, then smiles her approval before turning back to Random. "You're not giving him the Sunrise scent?"

"I don't want to ruin them for him." Link's eyes go distant as a soft tickling starts up in Random's processor.

Random obediently squeezes Kia's hand again . . . and tries not to wonder why Link thinks something about this situation will "ruin" Sunrises for him if the scent is here. And that tickling is a bit disorienting and making him want to squirm again.

Kia squeaks softly as something suddenly "snaps" in Random's processor, bringing a lurch of vertigo with it. The feeling is muted, and Link's next words explain why.

"Ughhhgggh, spinny..."

--

Random gasps like a swimmer too long underwater as things settle back into place. And then he coughs smoke again.

"I need to finish opening the door." Kia turns her head and eyes it, reluctant to leave her mentor when he's so damaged.

"Random mostly finished it," says Link, gently fanning away the smoke.

"Should I open it before Rollbar and Gears get back?"

"It could be funny."

Kia nods, then carefully lays Random's hand on his chest. "I'll be right back."

This . . . really didn't feel good. All of those readouts he saw glances of earlier are making a lot more sense now.

Part of him just wants to curl up into a ball, but it's not feeling as bad as he'd think it'd feel? There's pain and static, but it's muted.

Random doesn't have much more time to think on this when Kia gives him his hand back. She's leaving.

"Wait, Kia--" Random moves to sit up, and--ow.

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

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