Stomach satisfied, Alex leaned back in her padded seat, sipping on her lemonade with a content sigh. Jordan was still munching through his meal but Dix and Bear had already finished and were bickering lightly over their next destination in Galaxy's Edge. Grimacing at the sour lasting taste on her tongue, Alex leant over the phone screen to see what all the arguing was about.

"Lightsabers."

"Droids!"

"But lightsabers!"

"But droids!"

"All right, all right calm down." Alex interrupted the argument, cleaving the tension in half. "Heads to make lightsabers, tails for droids."

Satisfied, Bear and Dix leant back as Alex pulled out her phone to place it on the table for everyone to see.

"Hey Siri, flip a coin."

The phone hummed and paused, before responding: "It's tails."

"Yes!" shrieked Dix, gaining the attention of other diners. The princess shrunk into her seat with a laugh that infected the others instantly. Jordan paused from vigorous chewing to laugh along.

"You guys are such nerds." he commented indifferently.

Bear and Alex scoffed, when Dix grinned, "Says the one who wanted me to dress up as Darth Vader so we could, and I quote 'have an epic fight on top of Gen-Sec'."

"I just look like Luke!" he protested, squawking indignance. Unfazed from the teasing, he asked "Uh, what are we doing again?"

"We are visiting Droid Depot to make our droids cause we don't have time to finish everything here tonight." Bear explained patiently, Jordan nodding along. "Also, Siri is biased to royalty."

Dix snorted and got up to pay the bill. "Siri just knows."

Alex took the opportunity to give Jordan some further insight into their plans as he'd been eating for the greater part of that evening. She dropped the oddly shaped plantain she'd been using to lightsaber battle with Jordan's fry to read aloud.

"Visit a workshop stocked with parts, chips, manuals and other tech items useful for constructing your very own droid, one of the galaxy's most indispensable sidekicks. First, register your choice of the BB-series unit or R-series unit with the clerk, who'll provide a basket and blueprint for parts. Next, proceed to the following stations and begin your droid-building experience."

Alex whistled the tune of Darth Vader's epic entrance when she saw the photos. "There's two different astromech series, the BB line and the R line."

The droids were pricey, but with backing of Alex's money and what her friends had converted, there was plenty for all of them. Dix came back from paying the bill and the Core Four left Ronto Roasters with full stomachs ready to build their own droid companions.

They descended some steps and rounded a topiary to reach Droid Depot, which in turn was crammed full of noises, from beeps to squeals and the gradual shushing of staff members as the next slot loitered outside with bountiful, food endorsed energy. Out of another entrance came the flow of previous droid makers chattering in excitement, holding carrier boxes that occasionally beeped.

Alex was standing at the front of the line on her tippy toes so she could make out ten stations ready for building. Staff were sweeping around the area and preparing for the next ten customers when Alex took a quick glance back. There were nearly twenty people in line, so it was lucky that she and her friends were at the front.

"Come in, come in!" grinned a male worker who vaguely reminded her of Zain - except a Zain that smiled a lot more, and who wore a scruffy blue neck cloth over a black top. The rest of the workers were dressed similarly, black on black with a uniquely coloured neck cloths and a utility belt strapped around their waist.

Alex quickly took her booth next to Dix's, checking back over her shoulder to see the Zain look-a-like apologising to the customers who couldn't make it in. Surveying the tabletop before her, Alex noted the different buttons laid out in front of her, and the workspace with astromech designs imprinted on it. Droid Depot actually had a very similar style to Ronto Roaster's, except it was lessy shabby and held brand new parts and bright lights.

"Welcome to Droid Depot!" A friendly smile came onto Zain-look-a-like's face as he clapped his hands, rounding back towards them. "My name is Romy, and today I'll be guiding you through the experience of building your very own droid. Now, you'll notice the baskets in front of you, and if you just lift them up, you'll see the board is split into two."

Alex and the other did as instructed, holding the basket to her hip with her arm resting on the side to keep it balanced.

"One side displays our R line and the other our BB line. Once you've decided which model you want to get, come on up and grab a board with the parts and diagrams necessary for your build. It should fit nicely into the bottom of your basket to save room."

Alex chewed her lip as she examined the designs in front of her. The R line was a classic, and who wouldn't want their own R2-D2 trundling after them? Then the newer BB line had the rolling advantage, but Alex eventually selected the R line, a sucker for classics. She noted that like her, Jordan had chosen the R line as he and she both preferred the classics, whilst Bear and Dix had gone for the BB line. Alex knew Dix had a soft spot for the chirpy BB in the newest movies whereas Bear enjoyed them for the new perspective and information it brought to the universe.

Once the rest of the patrons had chosen their models, Romy carried on, waving them to follow him while he rattled off his explanation. "Over here on this conveyor belt are the main parts you'll need to build your astromech. Match the pieces to the list down the side, and make sure to browse all of the different parts!"

Alex's fingers brushed past a few pieces that caught her attention. She had half a thought to exactly replicate R2-D2 and laughed to herself like a crazed maniac. A kid next to her shuffled away and she caught a glimpse of DIx and Jordan dying of silent laughter further up her line. She drew her finger threateningly across her neck and they both faked panic.

Ignoring them, she finally found the pieces she wanted to use to build her droid with and ended up hovering at the end of the conveyor with her basket full. Her droid looked the epitome of a hero-world-saving droid with a white body, red outlines and a trapezium shaped head. The legs were red as well, a stark contrast against the body.

Jordan was next to finish, an all blue droid R line with a domed head and a grin on his face. Then Dix, blowing curls of red hair out of her eyes exasperatedly had settled on a nacho-yellow-orange colour for her BB droid. Bear was last with an all black, clearly Imperialised BB droid in pieces stuffing his basket.

Romy waved the group back over to their stations once they were done, standing in the middle with another staff member in similar attire. Her hair was blonde and pulled back into a high, headache starting ponytail and her neckcloth was a red brighter than Dix's darker tone.

"This is my co-worker Samantha, she'll be here helping me and you guys out so feel free to ask her any questions."

Romy then began running through the steps, he and Samantha both paced the inside of the rectangular set up to pause and help. Alex got confused with the legs and smaller parts a few times, trying to remember each instruction by repeating them in her head. Eventually she started muttering them under her breath like a lunatic, and the same damn kid as before looked at her wide eyed and took a big step back.

After she fixed the head on, there were a few more fiddly parts to contest with and she stepped back with a relieved sigh as the droid beeped it's first...word? The drilling around her stopped as everyone gradually finished at their own paces. She rolled her shoulders back and forth a few times, nudging the dropped bag by her foot to make sure it was still there.

The activation sequence could only be done by Samantha and Romy, but the two worked quickly around the ten patrons, inserting the droid into a special enclosed box, rocking the astromech back and forth a few times until a white glow appeared from under Alex's droid.

"Hit activate." Samantha pointed to the red button, swivelling around. "I'll be right back, kid—hey kid!"

The sequences leading from the activate button to the droid slowly began lightning up as the beeping grew steadier and louder. Once it hit logic function, the mech's head began turning around before finally reaching 'Droid Activation'. Her droid chirped merrily and Alex laughed back.

"Nice to meet ya..." Alex tried to think of a good number and settled on 16. The age she'd been when she'd first arrived in Medoran. "R1-D6"

Others around her clamoured for attention as their droids came to life, and Alex was quickly taught how to assemble the carrier box. Carefully, she placed R1-D6 inside, testing his weight by lifting the box. Even with her Meyarin strength kicking in, the sudden weight had Alex letting out an 'oof' before setting her mech down on the counter again.

She crouched slightly, slinging her backpack on to grin at her beeping friend.

"Crap on a cracker, you're heavy." R1-D6 trilled back indignantly and Alex was now attached to a droid.

Then again, she was bonded to a draekon and a dog, and had been bonded to a lot of people. What was droid to her repertoire? Dix, Bear and Jordan did finish up, each sporting their droids with proud, but tired grins. On their way out after thanking Samantha and Romy, they finished payment for their new companions and bought some extra decals and a personality chip to try out back at the hotel.

Alex collapsed in her bus seat with a tired sigh, her hair fluffed out behind her. Her gaze turned to 16, still in his carrier box, who let out a sequence of beeps and hums.

"Tired, eh?"

He replied with a double chirp that possibly sounder quieter as her eyes drooped close.

"Me too buddy. Me too."

A/N: sorry if this chapter is inaccurate in any way! Never actually done droid depot but all of this research means i am saving a heck ton of money for the future (if we have one mwhahahaha corona fu) so i can splurge. Until next week, and see you for some lightsaber wiedling! P.s next week, if i ever say 'saber' 'blade' 'weapon' they all refer to lightsabers, i just don't like reusing a word too much it gets cloggy. OH MY GOD IM SORRY SORRY THIS WAS LATE, yesterday i was so busy and i had a trial day at a irl school today and yes it was awkward because i have socialised with a limited amount of people.

-uh, dommie out