x1 | video.

[t65]

[Hey, it's Luke Skywalker, sitting at his pastel desk. There's plenty of junk littered on it, mostly scraps of droid parts and tools, but the inquisitive observer will notice a few mystery vials of colorful chemicals, and a hypo of fast-penta scattered among the rubble.]

I noticed there aren't any service droids on the ship-- when I mentioned that to the captains, they said I should... make some? [Luke has a distinct look of 'what have I gotten myself into' on his face.] We definitely need some mouse droids and basic repair droids-- we already have good engineers, but this would help them out in a pinch. Do you think we need gonk droids?

[Well? Do you?]

Have you noticed any droids we could use? A 1B prototype couldn't hurt...

[That's right, request a droid, Luke might be able to make it for you eventually. He's serious. Though they probably won't have much in the way of lively personalities, who doesn't want a robot?]

Oh- and Doctor Yewll? Mr Banner? Ed? I know we discussed some kind of prosthetic... if I'm going to be making droids, I might need that sooner than later. [He kind of cringe smiles before cutting the feed.]

Comments

[knaval]

...2/3rds as big as an AT-AT?

[what the hell is an at-at luke HELP HIM]

[t65]

AT-ATs are sixty feet high!

[knaval]

Oh. Wait, no I'm not that tall. Maybe just over half then. What are they? I kinda want to see one now.

[t65]

[Luke doesn't respond for a little while. When the video feed returns, it's with a doodle on draft paper, a more rudimentary version of this.] All-Terrain Armored Transport.

[knaval]

Huh. That's got guns on it.

[he pauses, then sounds visibly disheartened.]

...I guess we remind you of those big battle mechs, huh?

[t65]

Well, you've got two legs, for one thing. [Luke can see the discomfort, and does his best to be reassuring.] AT-ATs don't talk, and they're all grey metal. I don't... really understand what autobots are, but I know you're not armored transport.

[knaval]

[he can't help but laugh.]

The reason I'm so big is because I was meant to be able to transport other Cybertronians!

[t65]

[Luke puts his head in his hand.] What's a cybertronian.

[knaval]

That's what we are. We come from Cybertron, so we're Cybertronians.

[his tone is deliberatley patient.]

It'll be better received than droid or robot.

[t65]

Sideswipe said he was an autobot! [Why is he yelling!]

[knaval]

That's a faction. Our race was split into two factions following a civil war; Autobots and Decepticons.

So he's an Autobot but also a Cybertronian. Like you're a human and an engineer, yeah?

[t65]

Like I'm with the Alliance. That makes sense.

My galaxy is in a civil war, too. [Well, it's more of a rebellion, but Luke's never really been great at political nuance.] What is yours over?

[knaval]

Supposedly. It's been four million years, though. People don't let go that easily.

[he shakes his head.]

It was more solely... our race, than the galaxy.

[t65]

Four million years? How- how long-lived are your people?

[knaval]

As long as you're not actively murdered I think around seven, eight million is when people kinda start to get... gross. Too old. That war cut a lot of people's lives sh--

[he stops.]

This got a bit dark, didn't it. I'll bring Stumpy down now, if you're free?

[t65]

[Gently:] I don't mind, if you want to talk about it. [But, if he doesn't,] Sure. I'm in Moro Sixteen.

[knaval]

Maybe take me out for dinner first, huh?

[he just doesn't want this First Conversation to be about their respective wars, woops.]

I'll be right there.

[t65]

[Luke nearly makes an 'I don't think they serve droids here' joke before he thinks better of it. He just smiles.]

I'll be... outside Moro Sixteen. [If this guy's really that big, wow.]

action??

[knaval]

[yeah, he really is that big. riptide can't really help that his feet make a clomping noise when he walks. he can't really help that it's a bit loud. he tries to be quiet and non-threatening as best he can, but sometimes it just doesn't work out.

he waves at luke from a little down the hall, even when he's not quite there yet. riptide is so huge it would be a bit awkward, he feels, to not acknowledge luke until he's right up in front of him.]

Hey! Hope I'm living up to expectations.

[stumpy beeps.]

action figures tbh

[t65]

[Luke is sitting outside with the half-finished hull of a gonk droid when he hears it. If he was drinking water, he could recreate that scene from Jurrasic Park, not that Luke knows what a dinosaur is. He just kind of stares.]

Oh- wow. You- you weren't kidding! [He yells, because how could anyone hear him from up there?]

thumbs up

[knaval]

You don't have to shout.

[riptide looks behind himself briefly, then pops a squat. he holds out one hand, in which stumpy is... laying on his side in the palm of.]

I don't think he likes being carried... super glad he doesn't have a mouth.

[t65]

[He will never get used to giant droid... autobot... things. Luke just kind of stares at Stumpy, and idly gives a command. He falls back into the motions of speaking to droids very easily: kind, amused, fond, and vaguely condescending.] Here, here, c'mon, it's safe. Shh.

[And then, back to Riptide.] Sorry for shouting, but... how can you hear me up there?

[knaval]

Yeah. I'm getting more used to interacting with you little guys.

[he watches luke talk to stumpy, then puts him down and lets him roll forward, beeping. riptide retracts his hand and curls it under his chin.]

I wonder if he knows he's not in danger of being stepped on right now. [he looks back up at luke.] I only ask that you don't remove the Autobrand on him. Everything else is fair game.

[t65]

[Luke considers the negligable wisdom of being a 'little guy'. Well, he can't wait for these guys to meet Han... He reaches out to Stumpy and pets his head.] The Autobrand? What's that?

[knaval]

[riptide points to the red symbol on his own chest, then at the one on stumpy's back.]

That. He's an Autobot for putting up with our mess after we blew up the wall, it was decided.