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]

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]

"I need to finish opening the door," says Kia gently. "Please stay here and rest with Link?"

[astrotechmech]

"Don-Don't connect to the computer," Random says, forgetting that Kia doesn't have that equipment yet.

[random_xtras]

"I can't," she reminds him softly, leaning down to look closely at his face as Panda bellows somewhere behind them and seems to go berserk. "I was thinking of using percussive maintenance."

[astrotechmech]

Oh. Right.

Random frowns when he finds he can't remember how close the door was to opening before he got shot.

Percussive maintenance could work, but what if it doesn't? They don't exactly have a tool to . . .

A memory pops into Random's processor.

Wait, yes, they did!

Random opens one of his compartments and hands Kia the case containing the "panic kit" he got from the Christmas Elf waaaaaaaaaaaay back on Hoth. What a lifetime ago.

[random_xtras]

The little silver lady blinks and opens the kit, then pulls out the multi-tool and swiftly opens out the different things on it. She pauses when she finds the right one, and looks up swiftly to smile as Link goes, "Heyyyyyy."

"Stay here, Random. I'll be right back." She gets up, bent over to make a smaller target, and scoots over to the lock. She gives the door a wry look, and then inserts the universal lock hack into the outlet.

[astrotechmech]

Random startles and looks up over his shoulder at Link's exclamation. He's finally realized how odd it is to see and hear the avatar here. . . . Okay, maybe "here" is the wrong word.

Link's partly in the wall. And that isn't normal.

Random feels a bit faint.

--

Success! The door is open! And here come a few blaster shots by way of welcome and a platoon of Autotroopers coming to intercept the Rebels at the entrance.

[random_xtras]

Kia hunkers down and goes still, not even looking toward the shuttle bot who just gave a frustrated roar and the pink and white lady who has frozen motionless with her back to the door. She's quietly listening to Link chuckling back behind Jetfire, and waiting to see what he feels Gears and Rollbar are going to do soon.

[astrotechmech]

Random is distracted and thus doesn't realize that the Autotroopers have arrived.

A couple of Imperials walk forward and point their guns at Jetfire, apparently not noticing Kia or Arcee. "Surrender, Rebel scum!"

Jetfire's incoherent growl falls on deactivated audios as a large blast knocks a couple of the Autotroopers off their feet.

The lead Imperial turns his head and scowls at the AT-ST looming overhead that just fired. "What are you--?" And then he tilts his head in confusion when he sees a toothcat head pop up out of the top hatch. ". . . What?"

[random_xtras]

"Nrrrommmm!" says Softheart cheerfully, then vanishes and is replaced by a sand coloured Minicon head.

"Surrender, Imperial scum!" cries Dune Runner enthusiastically. "Your scrap afts are surrounded!"

"I'd listen, if I were you." Arcee turns and gives the gobsmacked officer a shield to the face, then kicks Jetfire for aiming at him. "Get your own Imp, flyboy."

[astrotechmech]

Okay, maybe a bot being partially in a wall isn't as weird as it looks? . . . No, it is as completely weird as it looks. Unless Link is a ghost? . . . But he's . . . Okay, technically weird things have already happened with Link before this. Like the dream where they had a conversation and again when Link showed up to the meeting with Sneaker. Not even Hot Shot could see them then. Liftor could, but . . . Anyway.

Random's still feeling a bit faint at seeing Link like that, but he's suddenly aware of what's going on right beside him. And freezes.

The lead Imperial looks at the scene of the battle as if for the first time. There's downed Autotroopers and triumphant Minicons everywhere. There's also smouldering AT-STs, undoubtedly taken out by the one commandeered by Basic-speaking Minicons. And there are kremzeeks here.

The Imperial doesn't have much more time to take the scene in before Arcee whacks him with the shield, and he falls over.

[random_xtras]

"Hey!" The second Imperial officer from inside the base steps forward, his hand jerking down toward his weapon, only to squeal and crumple as a small silver foot connects with his knee cap in just the right way to knock him down and is followed by a small head to his nose.

"Hey!" protests Jetfire. "That was my Imp!"

"Not anymore." Kia frowns disapprovingly at the flailing Imperial officer, then kicks him in the side of the head and runs to Random.

[astrotechmech]

Oh, Kia! Random had somehow forgotten that Kia was in danger. Yes, he just saw her take out the second Imperial, but she was still in potential danger! He moves to sit up as he attempts to reach out for her but gets caught on his cape. Then the nausea hits.

Aaaaaaaaaand the Autotroopers are looking very confused now. Normally, they'd be inclined to shoot everything that moved, but both of their assigned officers are down, they appear vastly outnumbered, and there's an AT-ST looking down on them menacingly, daring them to make a wrong move. So, they're just staring stupidly until someone tells them otherwise. They don't want the kremzeeks to notice them either.