[[001]] - [Text]

[kick_astromech]

[The following text comes up in Basic.]

Current Location; Coruscant - Confirmed

...Time discrepancy detected.
Current year does not correspond with internal settings.
Please confirm with correct data..?_

[After some scanning and filtering, another message goes out, this one encrypted to the last transmitted frequencies Artoo has been able to

Comments

[sand_wormie]

[Of course Luke only sees the first part.]

An astromech? Huh...

I've figured things out. [Uh oh. Canonical complaint time:] You can't go by whatever local date it is. Every time the galactic government changes they go and set a new year one. The Republic did this with the Ruusan Reformation, the Empire with the New Order, there's always local calendars, and this is before any of those that I know about.

You go by how old the Republic is, which is kind of imprecise 'cause I only knew it to the nearest thousand years back home. But it's only twenty-one thousand years old now, so it's definitely three thousand years before Ruusan. Four thousand years before the Galactic Empire, give or take a few hundred. 'S weird.

- Sorry. I only really figured that out a day or so ago.

[kick_astromech]

[Oh great. He wasn't ready for this. He gives a startled twitter once he sees who pops up. Yeah, talk about awkward.]

[.....]

[Okay. Just. Play it cool.

Besides, the kid actually gives him more information than anyone else has given him thus far! Oh Master Luke, always so reliable! Even if you are...tiny.]

That's what I figured..._

[Ffft. Only twenty-one thousand, he says. Artoo twitters at that.]

Oh, don't apologize. You've made the most sense out of anyone here so far. I don't suppose you know _how_ we got here?_

[sand_wormie]

Is something wrong? You don't have a flutter, do you? If astromechs get those... [Probably not. Luke's used to working on droids which are not terribly bright and can't self-diagnose much.]

[The Republic was twenty-five thousand by the time it fell, though it had gone through a lot of changes in all that time. Ancient system of government was ancient.]

It was... it was a Force thing. A directed Force thing, to take people through time and space and completely different galaxies. Revan can do that, [and there's something he almost says but doesn't quite here.]. Turns out there are humans in a lot of other galaxies, or people who look exactly like humans.

[kick_astromech]

[What? -oh. Artoo swivels his dome back and forth. No, no- just fine here! Aside from the current circumstances, of course!

He whistles lowly at Luke's explanation. Didn't know the Force could do things like that. It's the first time he'd heard that other galaxies were involved. That just makes things more complicated. Have a worried warble.]

[sand_wormie]

[Luke does not understand Binary beyond the most basic of basics, but it's always good at conveying emotion.]

If you're saying that it's confusing and kind of unsettling, I've got to agree, little fella.

[kick_astromech]

[Right on the mark. It's too bad he can't nod. Well, he switches back to Basic for the next question that he's been kind of avoiding.]

...when was it that you came from...?_

[sand_wormie]

About thirteen AFGE. [After the establishment of the First Galactic Empire. He pronounces the acronym af-geh.] I was born at around the start. We don't really note specific days of birth on Tatooine.

[kick_astromech]

[Artoo whistles again. Way to make him feel old. Well, at the very least, he's a little more informed of the situation, and there are friends here.]

[sand_wormie]

[That sounds reasonably like an acknowledgement to him.]

So what's your designation? Or name, if you have one. I'm Luke Skywalker.

[kick_astromech]

R2-D2, at your service, Master Luke._

[Old habits die hard, but hopefully the boy won't think too much into that.]

[sand_wormie]

[There's a twitch, not quite a wince.]

Just Luke. Please.

[Not that that will stop Threepio, in his future.]

[kick_astromech]

[He beeps in acknowledgment. Hopefully Threepio hasn't rubbed off on him that he'll keep falling back on protocol.]