ANH 'verse. Slaver's transport on Tatooine. Start the story.

[random_xtras]

Restless, weary drones and organics rustled in the darkness of the hold, many of them uncomfortable in the heat of the world they'd landed on a few hours earlier. Over in one corner of the stinking, sweltering space two pair of glowing optics shone. The ones that were further from the floor held fear, the lower set, large and pale blue, held only

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[astrotechmech]

This place stunk so much, he wasn't sure his olfactory sensors would ever be clear of the memory of the sheer filth and stink of the place. Worse was knowing where he and the young femme had landed up. Slave ship. Where strangers bartered, sold, and traded you like you were a piece of lifeless machinery to anyone that treated you like anything. And in this universe, they would neither be friendly or nice. If you didn't burn out from the sheer amount of hard labor, you burned out when they terminated your life--often painfully and mercilessly--when you couldn't meet their ridiculously high labor outputs.

But did she realize that? That one word could mean their doom? There was no way that she could. She barely had enough programming to function, let alone to understand as complex as situation as this one!

She was hungry?

When was the last time he refueled? It felt like ages ago! They had to give her fuel when they brought her in. There was barely enough in her tank to keep her spark alive without burning itself out. If she was

[random_xtras]

She leans against him, her attempt to pat pat him comfortingly thwarted by the cuffs.

Then she frowns slightly. "Random? That big sound we heard when the escape pod started spinning... is... is the ship gone?"

"Shut up!" A massive organic snarls at the little femme.

[astrotechmech]

He smiled a small smile at her attempt despite himself. Stupid cuffs. He'd hold her close if they weren't there.

The brute interrupts him before he can get himself to reply. When the brute does, he settles for a Look in the organic's direction.

"Yes, it's gone."

[random_xtras]

She cringes slightly away from the harsh voice, looking confused, but then looks up at Random trustingly though with concern. "But what about the Princess? And Sneaker?"

"I said to shut...." The organic pauses, his expression going from anger to fearfulness as he registers a change in the movement of the carrier. Then he slips back into the darkest shadows. "We're stopping."

[random_xtras]

"Well, then what?" The yellow mech puts his hands on his hips, his brow plates lifting.

[astrotechmech]

"Well, then what?" indeed. He can't say he gave her her programming, that would be too suggestive, especially with the Empire the way it was. What was he to her? He found her. He brought her back to the ship. He tried to hand her over to the medics to give her the programming, but she was much too insistent with what little programming she did have to have the one giving her the programming to be anyone but him. Curse those big blue eyes! She would barely leave him alone either. She would watched him in the limited time they did have on the ship, repairing some odd thing or another, and asked him ques--

That was it.

"I-I'm her mentor. She's got some basic repair programming right now"--how she got that knowledge he would never know--"give me time, and I'll be able to teach her how to fix things like I can. She'll be well worth the extra cost."

[random_xtras]

"Ohh." Compassion shows in the young mech's optics, along with a calculating look. Frowning slightly, he turns and talks to the Quintesson again, and then turns and runs toward the dwelling unit a short distance away. When he returns he's accompanied by three souped up drones.

[astrotechmech]

Random watches the proceedings warily, not quite sure what the other mech is doing. When the mech runs off, Random glances down at Kia, to see how she's doing. The other mech's return gets an raised optic ridge out of Random.

[random_xtras]

Ever obedient, the little femme lets herself be steered. And she somehow manages, by weight shift or just innocent intuition, to take a bit of Random's weight onto her own slight shoulders as she passes into the cheerfully cluttered interior.

The dwelling is all one room, and looks like a combination home and repair bay. There are bits and scraps and tools everywhere. Several posters of famous heroes dot the curving wall space.

[astrotechmech]

If he had realized that he had allowed Kia to take on some of his weight, he would have quickly taken his hand off her shoulder and tried to continue walking on his own but he has yet to notice.

The room gets a better look at than the fight outside did. For obvious safety reasons. He notices the double-function of the room but doesn't comment on it. He also notices the posters and somewhat distractedly tries to see if he recognizes any of them.

[random_xtras]

He probably does recognize some of them, if he ever watches the holo-vids. Some are famous real mechs, others are holo-vid femmes.

Hot Shot's gone over to a wide bench and is throwing things aside with blithe disregard for what they may be and where they're going. "Here, Random. This can be your berth. I'll see what we have for Kia."

Kia looks at the bench, and then leads her weary mentor over there.

[astrotechmech]

Random doesn't watch too much of them, not really understanding the point of some of them, but he does recognize some from times when he's been curious enough to watch what some others are watching or when he's been kidnapped into watching some holo-vids.

The noise coming from Hot Shot's clearing off of the table grabs Random's attention. A few items tossed get a thought of, He probably didn't want to do that, in his mind.

"Thanks."

It's as Kia's leading him over to the berth that he realizes what he's been doing and lets go of her shoulder, managing not to fall over as he walks the rest of the way there and sits down on it.

[random_xtras]

Hot Shot's voice can now be heard, raised in semi-defensive amusement. It sounds like the two young mechs are busy deriding and retorting at each other in that way that only old friends can achieve.

Kia ignores them as she contemplates the flavor of the energy she's drinking. They're not here, so she doesn't need to pay attention to them.

[astrotechmech]

It sounded like the other two mechs were off in their own world. Away from the Empire. The Rebellion. Random's life had been affected by it to completely forget it or the friends he may never see again.

But Kia was here. He prevented her from being lost among all the others. That would be enough . . . for the moment.

He pulls himself out of his thoughts with drinking the remains of his energon.

He needs to recharge. Absorb everything that has happened since the last time he slept. Hopefully, it will be more clear once his processor has had enough time to organize it without more data being poured out in streams on top of it.

But he'll wait until Kia's done refueling . . .

[random_xtras]

Slowly and steadily she finishes most of the cube, then offers him the last of it, her optics intent and concerned as she looks up at him. And then they flicker with surprise as a tiny air bubble escapes her fuel lines.

She wriggles a bit, amused by the strange sensation, then sobers. "Now I'm tired."

[astrotechmech]

"Are you full?" he asks, accepting the cube.

"Excuse you."

Random chuckles at her comment, rubbing her arm. "Then we should both get some recharge then. . . . Hot Shot never did clear something off for you, did he . . . ?"