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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[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 . . . ?"

[random_xtras]

"Yes." She leans against him, looking around the room with absent curiosity. "I can recharge with you."

[astrotechmech]

"That's good," he says, getting up with one last rub and finding a place off of the berth to put the cube before returning. "That'll be fine. Which side do you want?"

[random_xtras]

She looks down at the bench thoughtfully, then just shrugs and lays down with her back against the wall. "Now you can get up easily."

[astrotechmech]

He sits back onto the berth before swinging his leg up on the berth. "With as tired as I feel, I might be out longer than you," he says laying down on the berth beside her. "You may want to get out."

[random_xtras]

That just gets him a cheerful shrug and then a little snuggle. She's not worried about getting up. She might not even have learned to look that far ahead yet.

"This is lots quieter than the ship."

[astrotechmech]

He shifts his arm carefully, so it's around her and starts rubbing her back again.

"Yes, it is . . . Have a good recharge, Kia," he tells her quietly, shuttering his optics and willing himself to relax.

[random_xtras]

More snuggling, and then....

"Random?"

[astrotechmech]

"Yes?" A bit tiredly but not without patience.

[random_xtras]

A last little snuggle as she fades offline with the ease of the new and innocent.

"I love you."

[astrotechmech]

"I love you, too."

Then the last of the back rubs die away as he too, falls deep into recharge . . .