Chapter Text
R2 felt his circuits spark happily as he rolled back into their designated corner of the Geonosian hive. They had gone together to the control room to download as much data as they could before separating to the factories. There had been six in the area, and Friend Obi-Wan and R2 had taken three each, carefully sabotaging the factory reactors. R2 had also snuck into some of the weapon caches for the battledroids and messed with their production routines. Friend Obi-Wan, whose designation R2 had carefully changed from Jedi Kenobi, wasn't back yet, but R2 had run a careful analysis of the situation and there was an 86 percent chance of the man making it back by the allotted time, 89 percent if the patrol around Geonosis remained subpar.
He connected himself back into the data port and sliced his way so that he could better watch communications, he noted with vague alarm that someone was scheduled to bring Friend Obi-Wan to be executed soon. They were going to lose the element of surprise once someone realized that Friend Obi-Wan was no longer in his cell.
R2's calculations actually showed that they had gone an hour over his estimated time until discovery, but R2 had hoped that the organics would all continue to prove themselves inept.
His sensors picked up someone coming and he retreated from the data port and started rolling along the hallway as though he belonged there.
Friend Obi-Wan turned the corner and raised an eyebrow in what R2's data banks informed him could be either surprise, annoyance, or amusement. He considered running other facial cues to further analyze the facial expression but then decided that he wasn't a protocol droid and it wasn't important. And the way Friend Obi-Wan gently patted his chrome informed R2 that the man wasn't annoyed, and R2 was pleased with either amusement or surprise.
R2 let the man know about the scheduled execution Friend Obi-Wan would thankfully miss, but Friend Obi-Wan didn't speak binary, which was truly unfortunate.
"Are you ready to open communications, R2?"
Of course he was. R2 was always ready. He readjusted so that he could slice into the communication network again and then gave Friend Obi-Wan a signal to show he was ready.
"Everything's scrambled so they won't be able to easily pinpoint us?"
R2 twitched his dome in annoyance and explained to Friend Obi-Wan that of course he had scrambled the signal, he wasn't some amateur.
While Friend Obi-Wan didn't seem to understand everything R2 had told him the other man did nod seriously. "Of course, R2, I wasn't doubting you, I am merely attempting to remain cautious."
R2 decided that he could forgive that. Friend Obi-Wan straightened. "All right. I'm ready."
R2 connected himself to Evil Dooku's commlink. Well, R2 didn't actually know if he was evil, but Mistress Padme didn't like him, and he had imprisoned Friend Obi-Wan, frankly, that was all R2 needed to know to give him his designation.
He created the holo of Evil Dooku and Friend Obi-Wan gave the holo a small bow. R2 wasn't sure why Friend Obi-Wan would do that, people used to do that to Mistress Padme all the time as a sign of respect. Evil Dooku didn't deserve that at all.
"Count Dooku."
"Knight Kenobi. I admit that hearing from you is something of a surprise. Should I assume that this means you have decided to remove yourself from the Geonosians hospitality?"
There were noises outside of the commlink that R2 was fairly certain were supposed to be surprise and alarm.
"Yes, a new friend of mine decided to drop by and take me with them."
"Oh? Is that so?" Evil Dooku's response didn't reveal anything of what he was thinking at that and R2 wished that organics were a little easier to read, other droids were never this complicated.
"Yes. However, that isn't the purpose of my communication."
"I had assumed that there was more to it." Evil Dooku agreed.
Friend Obi-Wan's face was what R2 thought human's called serene, but R2 noticed that the way he was standing was similar to how he stood when he was saying goodbye to Little Ani. "I thought it pertinent to inform you that I've left the Jedi Order."
Evil Dooku's eyebrows both rose and R2 was sure that this was surprise. "Have you decided to take me up on my offer?"
Offer? There was an offer? R2 hadn't heard about that, and he didn't much like the sound of it either. He whistled lowly, but Friend Obi-Wan didn't react to his question.
"I'm afraid that isn't possible at this time. But I thought it best to inform you of my lack of connection to the Republic, and that the Republic and the Order have also received my resignation."
Evil Dooku's eyes narrowed.
"I also thought I should warn you to have your droid foundries cleared out." Friend Obi-Wan lifted his hands up and made a gesture to indicate the area around them. "You really ought to have increased security in those areas."
"Kenobi—“ Friend Obi-Wan made a signal and R2 immediately cut the communications.
Friend Obi-Wan sighed. "I do really wish we'd been able to do this part from the ship." He sighed and settled next to R2. "Send out a signal for an evacuation of the foundries."
R2 set off as many evacuation alarms as he could, even as he whistled in question; Friend Obi-Wan shook his head. "No, I don't trust Dooku to order any Geonosians in the area out." Friend Obi-Wan looked away, and his voice took a tone that R2's analysis indicated was tired. "I'm going to become a criminal, that doesn't mean I need to become careless with people's lives."
According to the data port the droid foundries now had the sprinklers going off, and alarms blaring, and were hopefully now in chaos.
R2 informed Friend Obi-Wan of this and then told Friend Obi-Wan that R2 would also be becoming a criminal, and that it wasn't the worst thing in the galaxy. They were going to be good criminals, in both manners of speaking.
This communication barrier was starting to become very frustrating, but Friend Obi-Wan still gave R2 a smile. "Thank you, R2." So maybe R2 had somehow managed to get the most important part of the message across. Unless he was thanking R2 for setting off the alarms.
What good was comforting Friend Obi-Wan if the human didn’t even know R2 was doing it!?
Obi-Wan waited a few more minutes before nodding to himself. "All right, R2. Set the reactors off."
This was the reason they hadn't been able to do this from the ship. If they had been more prepared for the situation they probably could have, but on the fly this was the best they could do. Using the data port to connect to the control system, and R2 thought this was a very poor design choice of the creators, he connected to all six of the factory reactor systems. R2 looked for the flaw that he and Friend Obi-Wan had created in the reactor programs, and then set the program to run.
Both he and Friend Obi-Wan waited in expectation, and it took less than a minute before the sound of explosions reached them. R2 whistled happily. They'd done it!
Friend Obi-Wan let out a deep breath. "Wonderful. Now we just need to get off this blasted planet. Where did you say that you left the ship?"
R2 whistled and Obi-Wan followed him as he started off.
They had to move much slower now that Evil Dooku realized that Friend Obi-Wan had escaped and sabotaged his factories. There were Geonosians scouring the hallways looking for them and Friend Obi-Wan had to hide himself almost more often than they could actually move.
Still, they made it to the area, hidden near one of the now destroyed foundries, where R2 had left the ship.
Friend Obi-Wan hissed and stopped R2 from moving closer. "Something's wrong here." He paused. "Run a scan of the area, R2, see what you find."
R2 twisted his dome quietly in a silent acknowledgment as he ran the scanners. There was nothing outside of the ship, but after a second scan he noted that there appeared to be something organic inside the ship.
He whistled urgently at Friend Obi-Wan.
"Someone's there?"
R2 whistled again.
Friend Obi-Wan sighed. "Can you tell whether it's human or Geonosian?"
R2 ran another scan, thankfully humans and Geonosians had different carbon and oxygen levels, and after a short analysis he could verify it as human.
He told Friend Obi-Wan as much. Apparently unwilling to trust his ability to interpret, Friend Obi-Wan quietly clarified. "Human?"
R2 gave a quick affirmative.
"Fett." Friend Obi-Wan's hand went to his belt, before his face twisted in a way R2 wasn't used to. He analyzed the expressions quickly and determined it to be distress.
"I don't think it would be a wise idea for me to try to take Fett while unarmed." He paused. "I think our best bet would be to make it to the shipyard and steal a ship."
He frowned. "Between the two of us, hopefully we can get a ship out of here."
Of course R2 could override a ship's security protocols, but he would forgive Friend Obi-Wan for not knowing that.
They kept to the outskirts of the hive this time. And there was enough chaos going on that they managed to make it most of the way to the shipyard without problem.
They were attacked once by a pair of Geonosians carrying spears, but Friend Obi-Wan managed to fight them off admirably even without his lightsaber; the moment that Friend Obi-Wan managed to retrieve one of the spears for himself he took them both down with ease.
Of course, R2 hadn't doubted him for even a moment.
So maybe R2 had doubted Friend Obi-Wan, but it had only been for half a second when his analysis systems indicated that without his weapon, Friend Obi-Wan was outmatched.
He updated his data packet set apart for Friend Obi-Wan to indicate greater physical prowess than R2 had initially recorded.
They made it to the rest of the shipyard quickly and R2 followed Friend Obi-Wan as he made his way through the ships.
Friend Obi-Wan was focusing on slicing open one of the larger Geonosian fighter ships, one that would fit both of them easily.
R2 however caught sight of another ship, settled somewhat in a corner. It was a Firespray ship, but an unfamiliar class. It was dark gray and somewhat battered and R2's circuits cycled quickly in delight. R2 thought this was probably what organics called love at first sight.
He trundled over and found a panel to start slicing his chosen ship open.
Friend Obi-Wan made a distressed sound. "That really isn't a good idea, R2."
R2 ignored him as he made contact with the ships systems. This ship was perfect.
The Firespray seemed very flattered that he thought so. R2 informed the Firespray that he and his Friend were going to save the Republic.
The Firespray was a little less impressed than R2 would have hoped, but R2 did his best to convince the Firespray that they would really benefit from her help.
The Firespray hesitated, her humans didn't like the Republic, she told him. They probably didn't want R2 and Friend Obi-Wan to save the Republic.
R2 told her that they were also going to be criminals.
That seemed to appease her far more than their heroic quest.
"R2, please come away from that ship. We've already antagonized Dooku, antagonizing Fett is only going to make this more complicated."
The Firespray asked R2 if they were going to take her away from her humans forever if she let him in, she quite liked her humans. They were feisty and skilled.
R2 promised that they'd make sure to leave a tracker and communicator to let her humans find her again once they were safely off planet.
Finally the Firespray let her landing ramp down, and told R2 that he was going to owe her a favor and that he wasn't allowed to look into her data banks. She kept her humans' secrets.
R2 was quick to promise and then disconnected so that he could roll up the landing pad.
Friend Obi-Wan hesitated before following him. "Such a bad idea."
R2 ignored him as he made his way to the pilot's seat. He whistled in annoyance, the way the seats were set up, it would be difficult for him to help with takeoff.
Friend Obi-Wan hesitated and R2 whistled at him.
Friend Obi-Wan grumbled and slid into one of the seats, starting the ship up. "We're going to pay for this."
R2 beeped happily at him and watched as Friend Obi-Wan actually started getting the ship ready for take off. Once he was sure Friend Obi-Wan was going to go through with it R2 trundled back to the main area so that he could get Firespray to close the landing ramp.
R2 froze as a small human boy walked up the ramp, closing it behind him. "Buir?" The boy called out. But Friend Obi-Wan was too busy, and the engines starting up were too loud for Friend Obi-Wan to hear.
The small human took a step into the ship, looking around and R2 rolled out of the hall and into the boy's view.
The child's mouth gaped open in a way that R2's data packets indicated was shock. "What are you doing here?" Friend Obi-Wan had gotten the ship to take off and the small human clutched at the wall. "Buir? Dad? What's going on?"
The boy's hand fell to his waist and R2 whistled worriedly when he saw Human Boy pull a blaster, pointing it at R2. Why would such a small, human child have a blaster?
Bad. This was bad.
The ship veered dangerously, the unexpected movement catching both of them by surprise, and Human Boy lost his balance, reaching out to catch himself on the wall with a yelp.
R2 rolled forward quickly, trying to knock the blaster out of the Human Boy's hand. Human Boy yelped and clutched at the blaster.
There was a sudden shudder around the ship and R2 let out a sharp whistle. Human Boy's face was suddenly very pale. "Are we getting shot at?"
The ship veered again and Human Boy fell against R2's frame, the blaster thankfully falling from his grip and to the ground.
Human Boy pushed away from R2 and started stumbling towards the cockpit as the ship veered again.
Not good. Very not good. Human Boy would not be happy to see Friend Obi-Wan and might react poorly, this would distract Friend Obi-Wan, and then they'd all get shot out of the sky.
R2 let his oil canister open and spill out onto the floor, and Human Boy yelped as he went down quickly.
R2 rolled around and engaged his electric prod, he didn't want to shock Human Boy, but he also didn't want to get blown out of the sky.
Human Boy snarled at him, but between the oil on the floor and the constant veering of the ship wasn't able to regain his feet.
A few minutes later there was a lurch that R2 recognized as being jumped into hyperspace. Human Boy pushed himself to his feet again and R2 beeped at him warningly.
There was the sounds of Friend Obi-Wan making his way back to the main area of the ship and R2 whistled worriedly. He didn't want Friend Obi-Wan to be mad at him. It wasn't his fault that Human Boy had entered the ship.
Friend Obi-Wan let out a quiet sigh as he entered the room, taking it all in. R2 couldn't quite tell what the look on his face meant, and his data packets didn't have enough information for him to adequately analyze it.
"Force, I knew this was a bad idea."